Love You For Always
by liljenrocks
Summary: Wolf Territory-Seth was biding his time, waiting for the day he would imprint. He made a career, a life, hoping she would come one day. And then she did. An imprint story written in Ninadoll's "How Wonderful Life Is Now You're in the World."
1. Prologue: Love You For Always

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll!**

**So, as many of you know, Seth is my favorite wolf, and upon reading Ninadoll's "How Wonderful," hearing his lines and finding out he was a doctor, I had to totally control myself. Nina gave me the okay to do a story in her universe and I'm thrilled to present this to you. **

**A special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. Enjoy!**

**And, finally, check out a story I'm helping KupKakes09 write called "Bastard Child and Lonely Wolf." It's an Embry story and it's sure to rock your socks! Thanks again!**

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**Prologue: Love You for Always**

"Why are we leaving?" Ava asked, propping herself up against the car.

"We're not, I am," I said, putting my last bag in the car.

"And why is that?" Ava asked.

"Because…I have to…things are too…you wouldn't understand," I was talking in fragmented sentences, holding my deepest secret inside.

"Try me," she cocked her head to the side, looking through her big beautiful lashes. "I don't get it, Abs. You've never been one to run away from things. You've always dealt with them head on. What's driving you away?"

"Nothing," I turned around to face her. "Ash isn't saying goodbye?"

Ava looked at the bay window in the front of the house, shaking her head. "She's mad at you and she wants _him_."

"Yeah, well," I stopped there, torn between wanting to call out his name and never wanting to hear it ever again. I felt my stomach flutter and I put my hand over it, lurching forward and throwing up the contents of my empty stomach, the stress and the disappointment of the situation getting to me.

"You think I don't know why you're leaving? He doesn't know, does he?" I wasn't sure when my little sister became so wise, at the moment though, her wisdom made me want to strangle her more than applaud her.

"He doesn't need to. I'll be back. I'm not going to be gone forever. I just need to go away for a little bit," I couldn't stand the look of my little sisters' tear stained faces.

"We aren't a family anymore, are we?" Ava looked down to the ground. "All that died with Mom and Dad, didn't it? What happened to the promise you made us? That we would never not be a family?" Her eyes were clouded with thick, painful tears.

"We'll always be a family, Ava, always," I choked back my own tears, finally finding the strength to hug her, holding on to her like it was last time I would ever see her again. A part of me would, the part that was just her sister, when I came back, if I came back, I would be different, I knew that.

"He loves you, Abby, and if you leave, it'll kill him," she whispered gently in my ear, rubbing circles on my back, comforting me like she was comforting a child, soft and soothing.

"And I'm doing this because I love him. He doesn't need my baggage, our baggage. He's a well respected pillar of the community and I won't ruin that," I felt ashamed in her arms. I owed her so much more of an explanation than that, but it was too embarrassing and hurtful to tell her what had really happened.

"You haven't done anything to ruin that, Abigail. You're both grown-ups, you made your decision to take that step because you loved each other. Look me in the eyes and tell me he's not the man you know you'll spend the rest of your life with," she was right, it was a lame excuse to leave, but it was the only thing I could think of to explain what was happening, what was going on in my life. _He _was perfect. _ He_ was everything every girl dreamed about and, I thought for awhile, he was mine, but not anymore.

"He deserves better than me," I finally cried, feeling like a dam had burst and every tear I'd held in rushed out. There was no doubt in my mind I loved him with every part of my being. The things I couldn't tell my sister were the consequences I was dealing with because of that love. As well as the rejection that set in the minute he tried.

"There's no one better than you," she rocked me back and forth, I could hear the desperation in her voice. "He'll keep you safe, he'll love you for always."

_Love you for always_…the last thing my parents said each of us everyday before they left for work, the store, anything. The last thing they said to us that morning. The only thing anyone could say to me that might make me stay. It didn't work, I had already made up my mind and I knew this was what had to be done.

I pulled away from her, running my hand down her porcelain cheek. "Take care of Ash and listen to Aunt Tess. And call me, anytime. Whenever you need someone to talk to or whatever," I bit my bottom lip as she shook her head.

"He loves you, Abigail. He loves us all," Ava begged, gripping me tighter by the arms. "I know what's going on, Abby, please, please we need you."

I pried her hands from me. "I can't," I whispered, wiping my eyes as she sobbed. Her cloudy eyes followed me as I climbed into the Subaru. I couldn't look back at her though, putting the keys in the ignition and cranking the engine. "Remember what I said? Take care of Ash and listen to Aunt Tess."

She wouldn't look at me now either, keeping her head low as she nodded. I shifted the car into reverse and slowly backed out of the driveway. Ava finally looked up, her sobs wracking her chest and guilt taking over within me. I didn't stop though. I shifted into drive and headed out, not even looking in the rear view mirror to see the world, the love, the everything I was leaving behind.

I didn't have the courage to check the rear view mirror at all, keeping my gaze focused ahead. It wasn't until I reached the city limits, that I noticed the sign, "Now leaving Forks, Come back soon." It was the sign's opposite side that I reluctantly looked at through the rear view mirror that brought back memories and images that flooded my mind, "Welcome to Forks." It was that easy, a new beginning, the days before I met _him._ And then seeing the sign everytime I came home from La Push, feeling an emptiness without _him_, the same emptiness I felt right now_. _A part of me wondered if I'd ever see the "Welcome to Forks" sign again, or if my brain would be engrained with the opposite side. I pondered it all in my head, feeling so foolish and part of me begging myself to turn around and go back. It wasn't until I glanced out my driver's side window to see a huge blackish-brown colored wolf sitting by the road eyeing my car and reminding me of the biggest reason I was leaving.


	2. The Big Sister

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, are my babies.**

**A special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Nina! (I'm thinking happy thoughts of Chaske…) Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**Enjoy!**

**And, finally, check out a story I'm helping KupKakes09 write called "Bastard Child and Lonely Wolf." It's an Embry story and it's sure to rock your socks! Thanks again!**

**%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%**

**Chapter 1: The Big Sister**

**Abigail's POV**

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

"Ugh," I groaned, rolling over to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

There was a pause on the line. "Dr. O'Brien?"

"Yes," I tried to sound polite, sitting up in my bed. It was extremely difficult, my head already feeling like it was about to explode, my feet sore, not to mention the claw marks from Mrs. Fitzer's Siamese.

"Um, this is Nancy," she said. Oh, yes, Nancy, my receptionist, who felt the need to wear kitty cat scrubs to work everyday, even though she did nothing even remotely close to the animals.

"Yes, Nancy," I said, pulling the comforter up, really just wanting to stay in bed today.

"I'm sorry, Dr. O'Brien, I know it's only my second week, but I'm not, my kid, see he had an ear infection and I have to take him to the doctor, and—" I stopped her.

"It's fine, Nancy. I hope your son gets better," I encouraged her.

It was only her second week…it was only my second week, in Forks anyway. It was only my first year as a veterinarian, period. So I tried being understanding with Nancy, telling her not to worry about it, take the day off and I'd see her tomorrow.

"Abby?" There was a soft knock on the bedroom door just as I hung up the phone.

"Come in, Ash," I called to my little sister. She padded her small feet across the wood floor, hopping up on the bed next to me and snuggling into my side.

"Do I get to go to the office today?" she asked. She was perceptive, my little sister. Ashley was a lot like me, very inquisitive, sensitive. I ran my hand over her recently bobbed curly red hair.

"Yep," I smiled, feeling my eyes well up with tears as I looked down at her. This was our morning routine lately, she came to the bedroom, crawled into bed with me, and we cuddled, while I tried not to cry at everything. I felt I was failing.

My sisters weren't supposed to be with me, we weren't supposed to be in Forks. We supposed to be living in Oklahoma, like we had been, but most importantly, my parents were supposed to still be alive.

"Don't cry, Abs," Ashley whispered, putting her hand on my chest. "Please don't cry. When you cry, it makes me cry."

"I know, sweets," I said. I turned away from her, feeling my sob stay in my chest. I watched as she closed her eyes, pulling her little body closer to me.

"Do I get to help today?" she whispered, looking up at me. I nodded to her, as our Border Collie, Sadie, came through the slightly ajar door. She jumped up on the bed and lay down next to Ashley, where she always slept. Sadie, like the rest of us, wasn't quiet convinced with this new life. It was hard for her to leave her life as a cow dog to move cross-country to a house with a fence and no sign of livestock within a fifty mile radius. "Can Sadie come too?"

"As long as we don't have a fiasco like last time," I mumbled, closing my eyes to contemplate going back to sleep.

"Abby, what does fiasco mean?" she picked up Sadie's ear and scratched behind it.

"Like craziness," I answered.

"Like after the tornado? When there was craziness?" Ashley whispered her question. The tornado, the tornado that had taken away everything that we knew.

My life was so much simpler before that damn tornado. I was young, carefree, finishing up my last year of vet school. I was Abigail O'Brien, oldest daughter of Patrick and Maddie O'Brien. I followed in my father's footsteps to become a veterinarian. The plan was that because he specialized in large animals, I would specialize in small animals and we could run a clinic together. That never came to pass. The April just before my graduation from vet school, exactly one year, five months and two days ago, a small tornado ripped through the suburbs of Oklahoma City. Not much was damaged or harmed, but one little building, the building that held O'Brien's Equine and Bovine Animal Hospital. It was a fluke that both my parents were there that day, too. My Mom was supposed to be picking up Ashley from Kindergarten but had passed that errand off to a fellow carpool mom. The tornado lasted less than five minutes and destroyed more than 25 years of hardwork, love, and dedication. Both my parents were gone.

I remember driving up to the tiny shack behind our house, water shooting up from the ground as a neighbor ran out to my car to stop me. She explained that something bad had happened, that she'd called my aunts, my sisters were on their way home, and that I needed to be strong for them. So that's what I did. My two little sisters, Ashley, who was five at the time, and Ava, who was fifteen, needed me. I closed up my emotions and became a zombie, going through the motions of planning two funerals in one, then dealing with people and wills and paperwork. In the end, my aunts suggested splitting my sisters up, Ashley going with the one that lived here in Forks, and Ava with our aunt that lived in Florida. I would have none of that. My sisters were the only family I had left and I would be damned if I saw them taken away.

I tried my hardest to keep us in Oklahoma, but living in the house in front of the place where our parents were killed was not easy. So we moved. Closer into the city and I worked under another vet. It was nice, for awhile. But like a normal teenager, though, Ava became rebellious and catching her in my bed with another teenage boy was the last straw. I couldn't but keep thinking I didn't need help. I swallowed my pride and called Aunt Tess, asking for help, but making it clear we would all be together no matter what.

Aunt Tess had only lived in Forks for about ten years when we moved here. She owned the town's only bakery but seemed to fit in well with the people here. She found a house for us, enrolled my sisters to start school at Forks Public Schools in early September, and found an office for me. My office was in a complex with Tess's bakery, a doctor's office, and a coffee shop. It was quaint and made the perfect location for my animal clinic. I'd met the owner of the coffee shop, a transplant from Seattle, very much the hippy with a goatee and organic cotton clothes. The only person I hadn't met in the two weeks that we'd been here was the elusive Dr. Clearwater that occupied the office next to mine.

"Abby?" Ashley asked.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Can I ask you something?" I cringed a little at that. The last time my little sister asked me that question, she wanted an explanation of where babies come from and if Ava was going to have a baby after we caught her and Mitch "Sleezeball" Magee in my bed.

"Sure," I kept my eyes closed, running my fingers through her hair.

"Remember how I used to take piano lessons at home? I really miss it and I wondered if maybe I could take them here," Ashley's voice sounded nervous.

I hadn't been good at making sure my sisters still had the opportunity to participate in the activities they did in Oklahoma. Ava wasn't on the yearbook staff or the school newspaper, Ashley didn't take dance or piano lessons like she did there. So, not only had I ripped them from the only home they'd ever known, I also kept them from their outlets, the things that kept them from thinking about the fact they were growing up with no parents.

"How 'bout I ask around and see if I can find someone that might be able to give you lessons? It could only be on certain days, though, days when Ava or I can pick you up," I told her, my eyes still closed.

I knew she was excited, her heart rate accelerated but she didn't want to show it. I knew she was afraid of making me feel guilty and I would've.

"So do we get to go the office? Huh?" Ashley's voice was brighter.

I finally opened my eyes, and smiled. "Go take a shower and see if Ava wants to go with us."

Ashley hopped down off the bed. "Come on, Sadie. We'll pick out a tutu for you to wear."

I felt for the poor dog. But she seemed to do anything Ashley wanted and that was nice. I should've gotten out of bed right then and headed into the bathroom but I didn't. Instead, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against my headboard. And before I knew it, another figure was standing over my bed.

"Do I have to go?" I heard a voice say.

"Only if you want to. But I'm not leaving you home alone though," I opened my eyes to see my middle sister standing in front of me, completely dressed and looking as beautiful as ever. Ava and I were completely different, physically, mentally, emotionally. We were like the sun and the moon, as my Mom used to say, never really indicating which was which, though I assumed after awhile that I was the moon, considering I was usually paler and liked the night. Ava was tall and thin with long auburn hair that framed her heart shaped face. I was short and chubby, my hair stopping at my shoulders and my face as round, almost like a perfect circle. My skin was light, almost too light, like a pasty color. Ava's was a stunning ivory. Whereas she favored our Dad, height and size wise, I was like a miniature version of our Mom. The only thing we had in common were our emerald green eyes and our extreme stubbornness. "I could use your help though. My receptionist just called in."

"It's the second week, who does that?" she asked as I shrugged. "Do I get to take my own car?"

I nodded. "If you'll help me, I'll even let you leave early and bring Ash home."

"Fine," she sighed. "Oh, did I tell you I heard some stuff about that doctor in the office next to you. He's hot, Abbs, like really hot. Aunt Tess said he's from La Push, the Indian Reservation."

"Really?" I asked, only moderately listening, now making my way to the bathroom, putting toothpaste on my toothbrush and starting to brush.

"Yep. Do you think we can go to La Push? Is there like a rule about that, about people like us going there?"

I spit, gargling a little water. "I don't know," I shrugged. "We could always ask him, I guess. He's never there when I am though."

"Well, and even if he were, it's not like you'd go search for him," she sniggered. "You're about as shy as the day is long."

"I know," I sighed, again. "I'm gonna shower. Will you help Ash with breakfast? She wants to take Sadie with us."

I heard Ava groan. "Why?"

"Because she loves Sadie and sees her like a part of the family," I told her. Ashley loved Sadie more than anything, mostly, I think, because she was a comfort in the days after our parents died. Sadie was actually Dad's dog and after the tornado, she had laid next to his body until the paramedics came. Then, that night, Sadie became Ashley's, never leaving her side, like a nanny. Ashley was a jewel. If Ava was the sun, and I was the moon, there was no doubt Ashley was the better part of both of us, the stars to me and the rays of the sun to Ava.

"I know," Ava sighed.

I showered, did my hair, put on my make up, and dressed, deciding on jeans and a "Give a hoot, don't pollute" tee with a big owl on it. I laced up my Converse tennis shoes and headed down the stairs. Ashley had Sadie dressed in a hot pink tutu. "Nice choice," I smiled at them.

"Thanks," Ashley said, biting into a toaster waffle. Sadie lay at her feet. "Can we ride with you?"

I nodded, grabbing my cup of coffee in my travel mug, then picking up my purse and keys. "You ready?" I asked Ashley as she hopped up and grabbed her little bag.

"Yep," she said, Sadie getting up and following us.

"Ava, you have thirty minutes," I gave her a serious look, as I opened the back door, Ashley and Sadie running to the car.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there," Ava took a sip of juice and waved as I shut the back door and locked it behind me.

Ashley and Sadie stood by the Subaru Outback's back hatch, waiting for me to pop it. I pushed the button on my keyring and watched it open, Ashley nudging Sadie in behind the dog gate. Then Ashley climbed in the backseat. I turned over the ignition, pulled out of the driveway and headed to the office.

"Hold Sadie's collar," I said to Ashley as I unlocked the office door. Luckily there were no animals that had had to stay the night in the clinic and it was quiet as I flipped the lights on. "Can you hand me the book, Ash?" I asked her as she rounded the receptionist's desk and stopped at the appointment book.

"Mrs. Lowell's Poodle, Mr. McEnroy's cat, and a g-pig," she said with a smile.

"A g-pig?" I asked, sipping my coffee.

"That's what it says," she handed me the book and pointed to the place where the appointment was written.

"Guinea pig," I said. "Which will be a waste of time because a new guinea pig will be cheaper than whatever I'm going to have to do."

"But you'll try, right? To make it better?" Ashley looked up at me with sad eyes.

"Of course, sweets, that's what I do," I leaned down and kissed her forehead, walking to the back and flipping more lights on. Sadie raced behind me going up to the middle of the wall in the exam room and started scratching at it. She looked utterly ridiculous with her hot pink tutu and her scratching with newly painted hot pink toenails. "Sadie, what the hell is wrong with you?" I stooped down to her level and she kept scratching, even though I tried to pull her away. "Sadie, stop!" I pulled her to a bed we had set up for her. She didn't stay long, jumping back down and running back to the wall, scratching, scratching, scratching. As I went to shoo her away, the front door opened.

"Dr. O'Brien?" I heard a voice say from the front.

"May I help you?" Ashley looked up from her place at the desk, looking very serious, tapping her pen.

"This is Fifi. We have an appointment with Dr. O'Brien," Mrs. Lowell laughed.

In the weeks that I'd been here, I'd seen Fifi a total of seven times, each time Mrs. Lowell thinking the poodle was on her last leg. The dog was old, at least ten, and she wasn't in the best of health, but if the tiny teacup poodle had so much as a limp or a sniffle, Mrs. Lowell would be at the office in a heartbeat. I guess I should've been more grateful, she was actually keeping me in business, though I felt guilty taking her money when Fifi was fine.

I rounded the corner, coming up beside Mrs. Lowell. "Good morning, Mrs. Lowell, and good morning to you too, Fifi." I smiled as I took the poodle from her.

"Shots, she needs all her boosters. And I think she might have a fever. I took her to the groomers over the weekend and she's developed the nastiest sneeze," the elderly pink-haired lady told me. "I have an appointment with Dr. Clearwater at noon. Do you think she'll be ready after that?"

I glanced at the clock, noting the time at nine o'clock. "She should be," I smiled at her, petting Fifi.

"Grrr…" I heard coming from the exam room.

"What in the Dickens?" Mrs. Lowell said.

"That's Sadie. She's our dog and she doesn't like whatever is on the other side of the wall," Ashley sighed.

Mrs. Lowell laughed. "That's Dr. Clearwater's office. I don't know why she wouldn't like him. He's a very nice young man. And he's single, you know. Of course, if you'd met his sister you'd know why. She's something else, she—"

I cut her off, not wanting to hear another word. "Okay, Mrs. Lowell, we'll see you after noon then." I practically pushed her out the door. I sighed loudly, looking at Fifi. "Maybe you should date Dr. Clearwater," I laughed patting her head.

I carried the tiny poodle back with me to the exam room, sitting her on the table and putting my purple rubber gloves on. Sadie was still scratching and I was happy the walls were durable enough to take her attitude.

"I'm here. Sorry, I stopped for coffee and when I saw Mrs. Lowell was here, I kinda avoided the situation," Ava came through the back door. "Fifi…what's wrong with her this time?"

"Sneezing and shots," I cringed. I hated doing anything that caused pain to the animals. I even refused to euthanize them, even when it was probably what was best, I would send them elsewhere. I couldn't do it, I don't know why, but I just couldn't.

"Damn, is this dog ever healthy?" Ava picked up Fifi who growled at her. "Geez, sorry." She sat her back down, looking over at Sadie, still scratching. "What's wrong with Sadie the Spazz?"

I tried to ignore her while I filled the syringes and got out the thermometer. "She's been doin' it all morning. It's starting to annoy the hell out of me. You hold her?" I nodded towards Ava as she grabbed the poodle again. I put the proper lubricants on the thermometer and slid it into the proper receptacle, in this case, the poodle's rear end, and giving Sadie another evil look.

And then, like magic, Sadie let out a small whine and ran to the front of the office. "Sadie!" I yelled after her, Fifi stirring under mine and Ava's hold. "Shh…relax, Fifi. It's okay." She started to whine more as I pet her to sooth her.

"What the hell is going on?" Ava looked at me.

I shrugged to her. "No idea. Fifi, good dog, it's okay," I kept petting her as she whined a little less. "Shhh…"

My body tensed suddenly and my heart sped up as I fought the urge to follow Sadie into the reception area, her whine louder, and a sound of her paws hitting the tile floor let me know she was turning circles. In an instant, I felt my body relax, I heard the opening of the front door, my breathing slowed. Like magic though, my heart sped and my muscles tensed again while the most delectable pine and cinnamon scent hit my nose. I was fighting the instinct telling me to go to the front, begging me almost.

"Hello?" the sexiest, huskiest, most delicious voice said, as everything seemed to calm around me, and I felt, if only for a moment, completely safe and totally at peace.

**%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%**

**Who could it be? Please, please review!**


	3. The HappyGoLucky Doctor Wolf

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, are my babies.**

**A special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Nina! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's homes and other aspects of their lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com. I imagine Seth as the actor Nathaniel Arcand and he is hunky! **

**Without further ado, here's Dr. Seth Clearwater… Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2: The Happy-Go-Lucky Doctor Wolf**

**Seth's POV**

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

I let out a small growl. "No, too early," I groaned, turning to the ringing phone. I flipped the phone open without looking at the Caller ID. "Yeah," I grumbled.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at home, Dr. Clearwater, but I wanted to remind you that we have a delivery coming in this morning. You said you wanted to be there to supervise it since I will be late. I have to run by the police station to drop of some stuff for my brother. Is any of this ringing a bell?" Sky my receptionist asked.

I rolled over, rubbing my neck. "Yeah, sorry, I just forgot. What time is the delivery?"

"A little after 9. It's just normal medical supplies," she said.

I cleared my throat and sat up, pulling the sheet up from the bottom of the bed. Since I'd been a wolf, I'd taken to sleeping in the buff. It was the only way I didn't burn up sleeping. In the last few weeks, though, sleeping in my bed felt a little lonely. I, Seth Clearwater, was no Casanova, per se. I mean, being a wolf had its advantages, including a plethora of women willing to do anything to please you. This had come in handy as a teenager, but now, things just felt different.

As a wolf, there was always one thing that we had to consider when dating or basically doing anything romantic. The big I word: Imprint. The threat of imprint kept all unimprinted wolves limited to sex and short-term companionship. It was a fear we all had, though some, like Embry, played it off better than others. Originally thought to be something rare, we all knew, now, that imprinting in the pack was anything but.

It had only been in the last few weeks that I had started to feel lonely, feel like I was missing something. I didn't know what that meant, I mean, I had a great life. I was a successful doctor, having graduated from the University of Washington Medical School, trained with Carlisle Cullen, and been Johnny-on-the-spot for any sort of medical emergency the pack might have. Not to mention, I lived in an awesome modern cabin, drove a nice car, and had dinner every Sunday with Mom. There was still something not there and I couldn't help but touch the pillow next to me lovingly.

"Maybe you should get a dog," Quil had said to me one afternoon when I was dumb enough to express my concerns.

"Ah, if our wittle Seth wants a puppy, I'll phase for you and keep you warm," Paul teased.

But our brilliant Alpha, Jake, was more than understanding. "Just be patient. She's out there, man."

So I took his advice. I was patient. I was biding my time, and waiting for the day that I would find her. Right now, I was concerned about getting to the office before the delivery truck. I slowly got out of bed, smelling the coffee brewing in the automatic coffee pot downstairs. I stood up straight, stretching, trying to ignore the activity below my waist.

I turned on the cold water, then the hot, just slightly twisting the knob. It was nice to get in and let the water fall, washing the important places and then getting out, feeling refreshed and ready to go. I put on grey slacks and a black polo. As a doctor it was important to look nice, but as a wolf, any type of clothing was restrictive and I always carried a bag of shitty clothes in the back of the Land Rover just in case the need to phase ever arose. Worse than the clothes, though, were the shoes, they were much harder to get off in time and I'd taken to a life of barefootedness. That said, I played the part of the normal doctor, keeping my secret life separate from my practice, until I was needed for the pack.

I poured my coffee in my travel mug and looked out the window in the kitchen. It was nice, the temperature was crisp and I slid on a light jacket, picking up my cell and the keys to the Rover. I walked down the stairs to the garage and opened the door, feeling the cool breeze as I stepped into the car.

Even though my office was in Forks, I lived in La Push. It was easier that way. I kept a semi-wolf clinic in the basement with enough normal supplies to take care of deep cuts, broken bones and such. Plus, I was tied to La Push. Even when I went to medical school, I lived here, running back and forth. I didn't want to live anywhere else, ever. This is where my family was, my Mom, the pack, this was where I belonged.

My phone rang as I pulled into town. I looked down at the caller ID. "Hey, Jake. What can I do for you this morning?" I asked.

"Hey Seth, I need your help with something. Could you do a once over on Scott Birmingham? Make sure he's healthy and all," Jake said. I could hear the sounds of a computer keyboard on the other end and guessed that he was probably in his office in Shipo Bikes.

"This isn't like the pack physical you made me give every wolf last year, is it? Because I can only say 'Turn your head and cough' so many times before I want to scream," I chuckled.

"No, I just want to make sure he's in tip top shape. His parents tend to worry a lot. Though now that you mention it, it may be time for the pack physical," Jake said.

"Good bye, Jake," I said, starting to hang up the phone.

"Hey wait! Seriously, though, can I tell his parents to bring him in today?" Jake asked.

"Yep, they can bring him in now if they want. I just got to the office," I turned into the small parking lot of the building complex. The bakery owner's car was out front, the hippy barista's car next to it, and a red Subaru I didn't recognize. Probably the new vet that moved in next door. _I wonder if she's ever had much experience with wolves_, I chuckled to myself. _ I should probably be a good neighbor and introduce myself later._

"Okay, I'll let them know. _So_ convenient that you decided to become a doc," Jake chuckled sarcastically on the other end.

"Yeah, it's great," I smirked. It was great, but I liked to let Jake think I felt like I was being taken advantage of.

"Okay, so I'll talk to you later. Send me the bill okay. Bye," he gave one last chuckle before hanging up.

I pulled into my spot, parking the Land Rover and turning it off to get out. The scent that hit my nose shouldn't have surprised me being next to a vet's office but it did. It was clearly a canine scent missed in with a little cinnamon. The latter scent was almost intoxicating and I had to keep my head focused to go to my office and not the vet clinic next door. I unlocked the office, flipping the lights on to hear a scratching noise, a very deliberate scratching, with a little whine mixed in.

I blocked it out as I turned the computer on, then pulled out a clean record and started filling in information for Scott. I had a special locking, fire-proof file cabinet at home with all the wolf records in it. But today, doing the exam in the office, I tried to make it look legit for the clinic's purposes, but I made a duplicate with all the vital wolf statistics. It was hard for my nurse to understand why a teenage boy would have a temperature over 107 and not be hospitalized or on some sort of medication, so, even though I was pretty sure it was highly illegal and unethical by human standards, I fudged records to keep suspense to a minimal. I took care of some of the business aspects of the office, paying bills, checking out the light load of patients for the day.

And then I sat. And sat. And sat. Until my eyes closed in my chair and I drifted off to sleep, letting my dreams take over.

"_Daddy, Seth won't weave me awone! He keeps following me," a very young Leah said in my dream, she had to have been eight or nine. Her toothless grin had developed about that time and it was very evident in my dream._

"_Seth," Dad said, raising an eyebrow._

"_I wanna pway too," a little me frowned._

"_No, you're too wittle and we wanna go in the water without you," Leah stuck her tongue out in the gap in the front of her teeth._

"_No, I wanna pway," I stomped my little feet and crossed my arms over my chest. _

"_Seth, Leah. Stop it you two," Dad sighed, standing between us._

"_No, he's annoywing!" Leah's scowl matched mine._

"_Now, here's the deal, kiddos. One day, it's just gonna be you two. Mommy and Daddy will go away," Dad answered._

"_Like when we __go__ to school and you drop us off?" I was quite proud of coming up with that evaluation on my own._

"_No, son, like away forever and it will up to you two to take care of each other," Dad said, putting his hands on our shoulders. "Now, Lee, don't you think Seth can go with you and Rachel and Rebecca for just a minute?" He put on the puppy dog eyes. _

"_Fine," Leah groaned as I followed her in the water._

I woke up to my phone ringing again and I contemplated smashing it with my fist. But this time I looked at the Caller ID and decided it was better to answer it than to hear the impending wrath on the other end through a voice message. "Good morning," I smiled answering the call.

"Don't good morning me, baby brother. What's this I hear about your cabin being done and you not inviting me for a weekend retreat?" Leah scoffed on the other end.

"Well, I didn't call because you will make fun of my house and be ungrateful the whole time you're here," I gave it back to her.

"Whatever. Listen, I was thinking that maybe we should go visit Dad," Leah said very softly on the other end. "I've been dreaming about him a lot lately."

It was funny to hear her say that. The exact thought ran through my head when the word 'Dad' came out of her mouth. Of course, visiting Dad didn't entail a trip to the house or to the local nursing home. No, we'd been robbed of those things. Visiting Dad was looking at a hard slab of marble with words etched into it: _Harry Clearwater, Beloved Husband and Father, Fisherman and Friend._ "Okay," I said, my heart aching all over again.

"Look, I know I've been a bitch, but I don't know. I can't do this on my own and I need to talk to him. I feel like something is different, you know?"

That was another feeling I was familiar with, having felt my life was missing something, and almost feeling a change in the air. "I know, Lee." I heard the scratching, looking at the clock and realizing I was only asleep for about ten minutes. "Lee, let me call you back. There's a really weird scratching noise coming from the vet office next door and I'm hoping some sorta animal didn't escape."

Leah laughed. "Oh, yes, because those animals are so scary."

"Shut up," I sighed. "Okay. I'll call you later. Love ya, sis."

"You too, bro," Leah said as I heard the phone click.

I stood up and walked over to the wall where the noise was coming from. It was a scratching, a constant scratching and it was about to drive me insane. I grabbed my keys, it was 9:30 and the truck was late. Great, I thought as I kept walking, heading out the door and locking it behind me. My door was close to the vet's and I pushed it open.

"Hello?" I asked, seeing the front desk empty. A large black and white dog ran to me, a whine in its voice as it screeched to a halt in front of me, sitting on its back legs. "Exactly," I grinned as I stooped down to pet it.

"Yoohoo! I'm down here," a voice said from behind the counter. I let go of the dog and walked to the counter. I leaned down to see a child with reddish-brown hair, sitting with Post-It notes in one hand and a pen in the other. "Hi. Welcome to O'Brien's Vet Clinic. How may I help you?" the little girl's smile beamed up at me.

"I'm Dr. Clearwater from next door," I smiled back.

"Ooh, you are hot," she blushed. "I mean, I'm Ashley Olivia O'Brien. My sister is the animal doc."

"Ah," I nodded in understanding.

"Her inspectionist is off so I'm answering the phones and stuff. Do you wanna see Abby? I mean, Dr. O'Brien?"

"Is she busy?" I asked, looking around the corner. "I don't want to disturb her."

The little girl smiled wider. "She's with Mrs. Fowler's poodle, Fifi. She's not busy." The little girl hopped off her chair. "Follow me," she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me down a very short hallway.

"What is with this damn poodle? Can't she sit still?" a voice said.

Another voice giggled. "You try having something shoved up your butt and then tell me you wouldn't squirm, Ava."

"Whatever. Do you think human doctors have to do that?" the first voice said.

"I'm sure," the other said, as Ashley knocked on the door.

There were two people in the room, a tall, thin girl who stared at me, and the other one, the girl I assumed to be the vet, who kept her head down, holding onto the poodle. She was shorter, her hair covered her face and her body was curvier, rounder.

"Who the hell are you?" the thin girl said, catching the others attention as her head popped up.

"Ava!" the short girl said as our eyes met.

It was silent and not at all how I expected it to be, my thoughts on the matter having been explored repeatedly since the day I became a wolf. The only thing I knew for sure was that at that moment, Seth Clearwater's wants and needs no longer existed or mattered. This was it, this short girl with reddish-brown hair, she was it. I lived and breathed, and flat out existed for her. The world seemed to slow down as I looked at her, our eyes still locked, her beautiful eyes a brilliant shade of green. I belonged to her, with her, we were meant for one another. I had finally imprinted.

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**Thank you for reading! Please, please review!**


	4. Perfect Timing with Dr Sexy

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, are my babies.**

**A special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Nina! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's homes and other aspects of their lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com. **

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 9 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. It coincides with this and give you some insight into Nessie's thoughts.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 3: Perfect Timing with Dr. Sexy**

**Abby's POV**

"Can I help you?" I asked. The man in front of me stood staring and for a moment making me a bit uncomfortable, but oddly in a good way.

"Oh, um, sorry. I'm your neighbor. I'm Seth Clearwater, my office is next door," the most attractive man I've ever seen said. He was like a dream, a big, tanned, larger than life dream, putting his hand out for me to shake, a little difficult, considering I was holding a thermometer in a poodle's butt.

"I'd shake your hand, but…" I trailed off as I lifted up my gloved hand. Damn that man was sex on legs, sexy, Dr. Sexy.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I just, I heard scratching and I thought maybe something might be wrong. I wanted to make sure you were okay," Dr. Sexy said.

I nodded. "Sorry—," I started, apologizing for Sadie.

"That's just Sadie. She's our dog. We brought her with us when we moved here. She's kinda like Ava, she doesn't like it here too much," Ashley said.

"Oh. And where did you move from?" Dr. Sexy asked, looking down at Ashley.

"Oklahoma," she smiled. She looked down and frowned. "We had a tornado, and—."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Se—Clearwater," I interrupted Ashley. "Give me just a minute and we can chat. Ashley, do you mind taking him and Sadie out to the breakroom?" I asked, watching my little sister take the Doctor's hand without even asking and pulling him out of the room.

"Come on, Sadie. Do you like her tutu? She has one in every color. Blue, yellow, green, purple…" she trailed off, as the doctor followed her out, glancing back at me with the happiest grin.

I stood watching them, wondering if my heart followed him out. "Abby!" Ava broke me out of my trance. "Damn, girl." She giggled. "What the hell was that all about?"

I shook my head and removed the thermometer, reading the temperature. "102, normal," I said removing the sleeve from the thermometer and putting it the trash, followed by my purple gloves. "Put her in the kennel, please." I nudged Ava, writing down the poodle's temperature before pushing up my sleeves on the lab coat I was wearing and making my way to the breakroom.

"Abby takes care of us. She's the bestest big sister. She cries a lot though," Ashley was telling the doctor. Part of me wanted to break in and tell her to stop spilling all my secrets to this stranger I felt oddly connected to. Ashley's voice was at a whispered. "She doesn't think I can hear her or see her but I do."

I decided that was the time to breakup the little conference Ashley was suddenly holding in the breakroom. "Dr. Clearwater," I smiled to him, putting my hand out to shake. His fingers touched my hand and something like electricity tingles, running up my arm and it only got worse as he gripped my hand. His eyes didn't leave mine and for a brief second I felt him run his thumb over the back of my hand and I licked my lips as his grin crept higher. "Hi…" I sighed, wishing I could touch him more.

"Hello, Dr. O'Brien," he grinned, rubbing his thumb on my hand. I could feel myself melt into a giant puddle right before him.

"Hello, Dr. Clearwater," I sighed again.

"Call me Seth please," his hand remained in mine.

"I'm Abby," I smiled, still gripping his hand.

"Nice to meet you," he chuckled. His eyes were big, brown puddles of chocolate and I easily could've stared into them all day. His skin was soft but his hands calloused in all the right places. I could spend forever with him.

"Abby, how come you keep looking at him like that, all weird like he's—," I shoved my hand over Ashley's mouth.

"Sorry," I blushed a little, finally dropping my other hand from Dr. Sexy's. I released my sister and turned to her. "Can you take Sadie to the reception area and feed her, please?"

Ashley looked between Dr. Clearwater and I. "You're not going to kiss, are you?"

"No, Ash. Now go feed Sadie," I playfully swatted her rear end and pushed her out of the room, leaving just the Good Doctor and me. "So, um, you live on the reservation?"

He grinned at me. "Yeah, I grew up there. Have you ever been there?"

I shook my head, smiling. Why couldn't I stop smiling at him? It was like his grin was contagious, his upturned lips were like a virus or communicable disease that I had caught and never wanted to get rid of. I really wanted him to touch me again, anything to feel close to him and he probably would have if Sadie wouldn't have made another attempt to attack him.

He started moving closer to me, shyly looking down until Sadie rounded the corner.

"Grrr…" she growled at Seth until I swear I heard him growl back.

"I'm sorry about her. She used to work cattle with my Dad and she had free range of the ranch and now there're no cows in a fifty mile radius," I said, grabbing Sadie's collar. "Not to mention she's pinned up in the house or this office most of the time."

"She needs a place she can just run?" he asked, cocking his head to the side and looking at Sadie who mimicked Seth's actions.

"Yeah, unfortunately, our backyard isn't cutting it these days," I nodded picking up a bottle of water and offering one to Seth.

"Thanks," he took it, brushing his fingers against my hand before grabbing my wrist and pushing my white lab coat up above to my elbow. "Wow, that's an awesome tattoo."

I giggled like a school girl as his finger danced on the black pawprint tattoo just above my wrist. "Oh, yeah, funny story," I said, relishing the feeling of Seth's touch on me.

"I've got time," he leaned against the wall.

"Well, it's not really funny, so much as really stupid. This tattoo," I said as I pointed to the ink on my forearm, "is the result of the one and only time in my life I was stupid enough to get drunk and let my cousin, Chloe, talk me into getting a tattoo with her. I made the mistake of going first though and she chickened out the moment the tattoo guy touched the ink gun to her hip." Seth laughed and I joined in momentarily. "Now the little tiny dot she has on her hip, she says is Earth from space," I giggled louder.

"That sounds about right," Seth lifted himself from against the wall. "I like pawprints. What is yours supposed to represent?"

I looked down at the tattoo. "Well, I always kinda had a special place in my heart for dogs."

"Wolves have prints like that too," he smiled.

I nodded. "Do you guys have a lot of wolves around here?"

"Here? Yeah," he nodded grinning, but quickly changed the subject. "Listen, if you need a place for Sadie to come out and run, you can bring her to the reservation. We have lots of open land."

"Thanks, she'd probably like that," I said, not wanting him to leave, ever. Even just his place in the room made my heart swell and my body want to do things it had never done before. He was special in ways I couldn't explain. I was brought out of my trance when I heard Ashley humming in the front area of the office. Her humming turned to singing. "There was an Ashley who had a dog and Sadie was her name, oh, S-A-D-I-E…"

"Listen, um, I know we just met but would you, would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" Seth asked and I nearly choked on my breath, wanting to scream 'yes.'

For the briefest of moments I felt normal, like a normal 25-year old woman with no added responsibilities, a normal woman being asked out by a very kind, attractive man and my body was wanted to jump on the offer. "Abby?! I'm hungry!" Ashley yelled from the front, breaking me out of my imaginary world.

"I'm sorry, Seth. I would really love to, but I have so much going on right now. And I have a lot of stuff to deal with that I wouldn't wish on you," I shook my head, not wanting to see his eyes because I knew if I saw them, I'd crumble. Why the hell was I telling him no?

"Abby, I'm a grown up, I think—," he was cut off though, a loud beeping noise coming from his cell phone.

"You should get that," I faked a smile.

"My delivery's here. Will you think it over, please? Don't say no, just say maybe," Seth was quiet convincing.

"Maybe," I sighed as he nodded, touching my wrist one last time before running out of the office. He was gone and I was pretty sure I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.

**SETH'S POV**

Normal rejection sucks, but imprint rejection, that's like having your heart ripped out and then stomped on, then thrown over hot coals…In other words, it was brutal and painful and I swear I could feel physical pain all over because of it. I didn't want to leave her standing there in that breakroom. What I really wanted to do was to pull her in my arms and tell her it was all going to be okay, all of it, all the pain, all the stress, I would take it all away and love her like she could never imagine. Anyone that had loved her before, wouldn't come close to being what I would be to her.

I thought about this all day, I do mean all day. I took pulses and remembered how Abby's heart sped up when she looked at me. I held patients' wrists thinking about her pawprint tattoo, and it only got worse.

"Dr. Clearwater, are you listening to a word I'm saying?" Mrs. Fowler put her arms across her chest.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry, I was thinking about something," I nonchalantly played it off. I knew that Mrs. Fowler frequented Dr. O'Brien's office and I was curious. "What do you know about Dr. O'Brien?"

"The vet?" she asked as I nodded to her. "Well, Fifi loves her and she's good with her sisters. I don't really know why they're here. I know she's got a subtle accent. Why?" she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"I was just curious," I chuckled finishing her exam. I escorted Mrs. Fowler to the reception area so she could set up another appointment with Sky, then watched as she walked next door to Abby's. Her name just kinda rolled off my tongue. Abigail Clearwater kinda has a ring to it, right? I walked to my window and looked out and noticed Abby come out with Mrs. Fowler, waving goodbye to a poodle before she turned around and went back into her office. I could see her eyes and there was so much longing in them, so much of something that she needed but wasn't getting.

I remained at the window and watched for a minute. Abby came back out to the small parking lot, and I watched as she walked slightly to the front of my office, noticing the bread she had in her hand as she tossed it to a few lone geese in the parking lot. She was unique, but perfect, her own person with love and concern evident all over her face, for all creatures. She was my other half and I didn't need to see any other woman to know that Dr. Abigail O'Brien was it for me.

"Dr. Clearwater?" Sky said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "You have a phone call. Mrs. Black on Line 1."

"I'll take it in my office," I said to her, walking back to my office and picking up the phone. "Hey Ness."

"Hey yourself," her voice rang like a bell. "Do you have plans for tonight? I was thinking of making a Mexican food feast if you want to come over. I know Jake will want to discuss Scott's exam too."

"Sure. I'll bring the tequila," I joked. It took a lot to get a wolf drunk, and other than Jägermeister, tequila worked best.

"What's wrong, Seth?" Nessie's tone changed to mothering concern.

I shook my head even though I knew she couldn't see it. "I'll tell you later tonight."

"Okay, try to have a better day, Seth," Nessie said. "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye," I hung up, thinking that it wasn't so much me having a bad day, as me having the single most exhilarating experience in my life, only to be left with emptiness.

The day was slow and I watched as Abby's sisters loaded into a Volkswagen bug and drove off, Abby waving and then climbing in her Subaru. And then she was gone. I locked the office up and drove to Jake and Nessie's, stopping at a liquor store on the way, bringing the promised tequila. I wasn't sad anymore, thoughts of my imprint dancing in my head. The feeling I had now was almost loneliness. I wasn't sure why, I was getting ready to have dinner with the pack, the biggest group of people I knew. And, as if that wasn't enough, another emotion of bliss hit me, I had found _her_, and one way or another, I would show her she could love me, trust me, be with me.

By the time the last part of this internal conversation hit me, I realised that I was eating Mexican food, surrounded by a few members of the pack.

"What's got you smiling?" Embry asked.

"Embry, it's Seth. He's always smiling," Quil said.

"No, it's different. I see it too, it's like a sickening sweet smile," Jake looked me over.

"What makes you think anything's happened for me to smile wider?" I took a bite out of a taco.

The three of them stopped and cocked their heads to different sides, making me smile that much more, thinking about them in wolf form and thus moving my thoughts to other members of the canine family, and Abby.

It was Nessie who figured it out, rushing up to me with open arms. "Oh, my God! You imprinted?!"

"What?!" that was Jake.

"Huh?!" that was Quil.

"Shit!" that was Embry. "Great, now I'm stuck patrolling the bars by myself." He threw his arms in the air dramatically.

Nessie waved him off. "Who is she? Tell me everything! Every detail!" Her enthusiasm made me smile, but it also made me wish that Abby had said yes to the date, that I was able to introduce her to my extended family. I had a feeling she'd get along well with Ness, they both seemed like nurturers.

"Uh, her office is next to mine," I said, feeling my face flush. It was quiet for a minute, until everyone started to laugh.

"Dude, you imprinted on the new veterinarian? That's classic, the wolf and the animal doctor," Quil laughed as Embry and Jake joined in.

"Leave him alone, you guys," Nessie chided them. "What happened?"

I didn't want to talk about it, I needed to come up with a game plan first, a way to go about winning my imprint over. On the other hand, Ness was only one of a handful of women I could talk to about anything in the love department. She must've known what I was thinking, grabbing my hand and pulling me from my plate of food to the living room, the last thing I heard being, "I got dibs on his burrito!" from Embry.

"Now, are you going to tell me or do I have to wait for my Dad to come over or for you to phase at the same time as—"

"Nothing happened," I cut her off. "I asked her out and she said no," I looked down. "Well, she didn't say no, she said maybe, and she said that she had a lot of stuff going on in her life and she didn't thinking I should have to deal with that." I had to admit, repeating the story, made it hurt even more.

Ness turned her head to one side. "Do you know anything about her, do you know her story?"

I shook my head. I honestly didn't know anything about her but her name, and it was a beautiful one at that. Just thinking about it made her fill every corner of my mind and I couldn't help but smile. Nessie didn't seem too amused though, huffing next to me.

"Sorry, I was just…" I trailed off.

"You were just thinking of her. No need to apologize, I understand. I think there are things about her you need to understand, though," Nessie hurried away and came back with her laptop. "I was with Grandpa Charlie today and he told me some things that made me look up Abby's story."

I took the laptop from her and looked at the page she had opened, "Tornado Hits North of City, Husband and Wife Killed." I read through the news article, a piece telling the short but tragic story of a family from Oklahoma torn apart, a couple that had just celebrated their 25th Anniversary, killed and a 24-year old left to raise her two younger sisters. "This is Abby's family?" I asked, suddenly realizing what Abby meant by things going on that she didn't want to subject me to.

Ness nodded. "She was raising them on her own, then the middle sister got into some trouble, so they moved up here to be near their aunt. You know, Tess McAlester, she owns the bakery in your office complex?"

"Yeah, is that her aunt?" I asked, still looking at the article, the most disturbing part being the pictures, one of them being Abby holding Ashley who was fast asleep.

"Yes," Nessie said, taking the laptop from my hands. "I know you, Seth, and she needs someone like you. She doesn't know anyone, from what Grandpa Charlie said. Tess told him she's shy and her sisters are her priority right now."

I felt my heartbreak, thinking of my imprint so sad and lonely, remembering what Ashley said about Abby crying, fighting the urge to go to her now, to pull her into my arms and hold her until, well, hold her forever, let her know that I would make it all better.

I looked at Ness, fighting the urge to cry, because I never would've lived that down with Quil and Embry in the other room. "So what do I do? How do I…I need her, Ness," I started to notice the desperation in my voice and it scared me a little. How could someone I'd just met have that much control over me? And why did only mildly bother me?

"What's the main rule of the imprint? You be what she needs you to be, and right now, Seth, she needs you to be her friend. I know, without a doubt, she'll want more than that from you someday, but you need to start with friendship," Nessie said, looking at me seriously. "And I know from experience that you're a great friend."

"Thanks, Ness," I smiled. "What do I do to be her friend?"

Nessie giggled a little. "Be yourself. And find out what things mean the most to her and go on that route."

That was easy. I knew two things that she loved more than anything. One, her sisters, and two, the animals. I would start with that first, I would win my imprint's heart by showing her that what mattered to her, mattered to me. I would be the best friend she could imagine, I would be her confidant, her supporter, and if that meant babysitting or helping her sisters with their homework, than I would do it better than anyone else on the planet. And I would start the very next day with a small token, something to remind her that I was here for her, that no matter what, she could trust me.

"Yo, Seth, get in here! The tequila's almost gone!" Embry yelled with a slur in his tone from the kitchen where they sat.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back, turning to give Ness a hug and thanking her again.

It had been a great night, food, friends, drinks, the only thing that could've made it better was if I had had Abby there to share the night with me. After the effects of the tequila had worn off and I made my way home, I did my nightly routine and then went to my bedroom, stripping down naked to get into bed. I stared at the empty pillow next to me, the feeling was different now, now that I knew who belonged there…Abby, my Abigail.

I touched the pillow, imaging Abby there, and closed my eyes.

"Soon," I said to myself. "Soon."


	5. Pencil Bouquets and Misunderstandings

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, are my babies.**

**A special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Nina! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's homes and other aspects of their lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com. **

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 10 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 4: Pencil Bouquets and Misunderstandings**

**Abby's POV**

I put the last of the pudding snacks in Ashley's lunch sack. It was Saturday, one week from the interesting encounter with Dr. Sexy and I was getting my sisters all set for a day without me, while simultaneously getting myself ready for work. Ava was a junior at Forks High and while she had made a few friends right away, she was still not too sure about the whole Forks scene. Today, she would be spending her time at _Tres Tess_, Aunt Tess's bakery in Forks. Ashley, on the other hand, who was in first grade, made friends quickly and loved it here. She even had a play date set for that afternoon. Part of me hoped that she'd forget the horrible thing that happened in Oklahoma, but then part of me didn't because she would have to forget our parents and I didn't want that.

Ava walked down the stairs as I closed Ash's lunch bag. "You look nice," I smiled, seeing her dressed in skinny jeans and a vintage University of Oklahoma t-shirt. She completed her ensemble with converse and a cardigan.

"Thanks, but I'm exhausted," she said, pulling the orange juice out of the fridge.

"Well, you should've gone to bed last night instead of IMing with Claire all night," I gave her a disapproving glare while I drank my coffee.

Ava chuckled. "You know you like Claire." I couldn't argue there. I did like Claire, she was the first and most loyal friend that Ava made at school and she had introduced her to things Ava hadn't been exposed to before.

"I do, I just want you to get some rest," I said as Ashley trotted down the stairs. "Good morning, glory!" I walked to her and hugged her.

"I don't want you to go to work today," she said, while Sadie whined at her feet. "Sadie's gonna be all alone today and she hates it!"

"Sweets, Sadie will be just fine," I told her, looking down at her pouty face and knowing Sadie was doing the same.

"Will you take her with you today? She doesn't like staying in the house all by herself," Ashley nibbled on a banana I had just peeled for her, while petting Sadie with the sole of her foot. I really did hate to leave the poor dog all cooped up in the house for the day. At the same time, after the last visit, where she scratched the hell out of my wall, I was a little reluctant to take the canine. But then again, the last time she was there, Dr. Sexy did come over so…

"Fine, she can go," I said as Sadie lifted her head.

Ashley hopped up from her chair. "Oh, goodie! Let's go get you dressed!" Ashley turned to look at me. "She wants to wear a baseball jersey, she told me so." Ashley smiled as she and Sadie hopped up the stairs.

"If that dog is talking to her, I think you should probably tell her shrink," Ava giggled.

"What's a shrink?!" Ashley yelled down as I rolled my eyes.

"Hurry, or you're gonna be late!" I yelled to Ashley. Ava tapped her foot and downed the rest of her juice. "You're working with Aunt Tess today?"

It was really more of rhetorical question. I knew she was, because, as she put it, "If I have to spend one more minute with those smelly animals, so help me…" And I knew that she really enjoyed working at the bakery, not to mention that it gave her that outlet and some time away from me and Ashley. I knew as a teenager, she needed that.

"Yeah. Hey, I was gonna ask, Claire's looking for a job and I told her you might be looking for an assistant," Ava eyed me the way she does when she wants to stay out past curfew or wants to buy a new dress that is entirely too expensive.

I sighed. "Tell her to come by this afternoon and we'll talk," I picked up my purse. "Ash, let's go!"

I dropped Ashley off at her friend's house, which was just around the corner from my office, then parking the car, heading into _Tres Tess_ for coffee and a danish for myself and Nancy, before walking Sadie with me into the office.

"Good morning, Dr. O'Brien," Nancy smiled from behind the counter.

"Morning," I said, watching as Sadie went to her traditional corner and lay on her big doggy bed. "_Now_ you decide to be calm?"

Nancy laughed. "Was she bad last Saturday?"

"Not bad, she just kept scratching the wall. Finally that doctor came over to see what the problem was," I sipped my coffee, handing Nancy her cup.

"Dr. Clearwater?" she asked, taking a bite of her Danish, as I nodded. "It's funny that you would say that because you got a special delivery this morning."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what does that have to do with Dr. Clearwater?"

Nancy eyed me, looking at my face. "You're blushing," she giggled. "You like him, don't you?"

My eyes widened and I shook my hand. "No! I mean, he's not bad on the eyes and he seems nice enough, but, come on, when would I have time to date?"

"You're gonna have to stop using your sisters as an excuse, Abby," Nancy sipped her coffee and looked down. Nancy was the only one, outside of Ava that I would talk about things like this with. She was in her early thirties, married to the town's only barber, who also happened to be her high school sweetheart. She was a friend, though, one of the only ones that I had made since college. Hell, even in college I wasn't the world's biggest social butterfly. I lived at home, I didn't really go to parties, and I actually studied instead of spending Saturday nights comparing the robust flavors of the local beer selections. That just wasn't ever me, I tried once or twice, but I always ended up leaving whatever drinking establishment I was at early to go home and do something else. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy or couldn't hold my liquor, it was just something I did in the privacy of my home, surrounded by my equally drunk family, mainly my cousins Chloe and Vanessa and my aunt, Shannon.

But Nancy was right. At some point in time, I was going to have to learn to balance the fucked up situation my sisters and I were in, with a romantic life. I wanted a family of my own, I wanted a husband and someone to love me in _that_ kind of way. Apart from not socializing, I hadn't really done much in the way of non-platonic love. I had dated a few boys in high school, and then in college. I was dating someone in vet school too, up until my parents died and he decided I was damaged goods. There were also certain things that, as a 25-year old, I hadn't done, mainly the **big one**. Yep, I was a virgin. Not that it mattered much to me, it was just another technicality or thing that I was hesitant to do. See, I have this problem, where I make up my mind too quickly and then spend forever thinking I made the wrong decision. Basically, I have buyer's remorse about everything and I didn't want to just have sex with a random guy and then wake up feeling regretful. I knew when it would be right, when I didn't hesitate or second guess the situation, when I knew the man I was doing it with was "_**the One**_._**"**_

"It doesn't matter if I like him or not, Nance. He may not like me," I rationalized.

She nearly choked on her coffee. "Go look in the exam room and then tell me that man doesn't like you."

"Uh, why?" I asked, trying to hide the fact that my blush was starting to spread down my neck, something that happened when I was really embarrassed, really drunk, or really nervous.

"Just go look," Nancy said, scooting her chair back.

I cleared my throat, gathering up all my stuff and trotted back to the exam room. I pushed the door open with my back and then walked in, putting my stuff down before turning around to find the biggest basket I'd ever seen, filled to the brim with various school supplies, pencils shaped into a fun bouquet, pens, notebooks, staplers, erasers. It was a teacher's wet dream. I picked up the card attached.

_Abby-_

_Don't you love the smell of freshly sharpened pencils? I always loved school supplies as a kid and I hope your sisters do too. Please accept this welcome gift. I hope you're still thinking on the date._

_Yours,_

_Seth_

I thought to myself when I read the last line, _Oh, how I wish you were mine…_

His handwriting was scratchy, like any good doctor's would be, and I ran my fingers over the ink feeling connected to him if only for a minute. I couldn't take my eyes off the lettering, off the way he wrote my name, off the word "Yours."

"He's next door, you know. In case you wanted to thank him," Nancy stood in the doorway looking at me.

I turned to her. "When's my first appointment?"

"Mr. Ateara's dog in thirty minutes," she replied. "He's a new patient. Said he's a friend of someone we might know. Wanna guess?" I cocked my head to the side, with a questioning look. Nancy giggled at me. "Dr. Clearwater."

"What?" I asked, perplexed by the fact that Seth was now referring me to people.

"Apparently they're old friends. He's got a German Shepherd puppy that he just adopted and he wants you to check it out, give it shots and such," Nancy kept smiling and I started to feel like maybe I had been wrong. Maybe Seth did like me more than I wanted to realize, maybe I shouldn't have said no to the date that quickly, maybe Nancy was right and I needed to do this, to stopping using my sisters as an excuse.

I picked up my keys. "I'll be right back," I smiled to her, heading out to the waiting area and through the front door. I hadn't been to Seth's office before and it was a lot larger and nicely decorated than mine. I guess humans have that luxury, things were built for the aesthetic value, where my office was more of a "what can we clean dog pee off of the easiest" type of décor. I was in awe, stepping up to the receptionist counter to see a thin, blonde woman sitting behind the desk.

"Someone's here, Monica, I'll have to call you back," the blonde said with such disdain in her voice I almost sulked out of the office without accomplishing my task. "Can I help you?" She had a nasal tone to her voice and she looked very put out that she even had to breathe the same air I did.

"Hi, I'm Dr. O'Brien from next door," I said, motioning towards the wall our offices shared.

"And?" She asked, her eyes wide as she started to bat her lashes and her voice dripping with venom.

"I was wondering if Dr. Clearwater was in. He sent me the nicest gift and I wanted to thank him," the sheer thought of seeing his face again made me blush and smile.

"He's with a patient right now," she said curtly. "And, actually, if you want to know a secret, I'm the one that ordered that monstrosity. He's always sending gifts to women, I had no idea we were sending one to our own little Dr. Doolittle though."

That blonde bitch of a receptionist might as well have punched me in the stomach, I'm sure it would've been less painful than what I was feeling at the moment. Damn me for getting my hopes up. "So, I guess I should thank you then," I faked a smile. "Thank you. Um, and you can just convey that message to Dr. Clearwater as well." I walked out before I cried in the office. I had misread the signals, taking Seth's gift to mean more than it did. And now I looked and felt like a fool.

**SETH'S POV**

I honestly hadn't been out of the exam room or my office all day, Sky was shoving patients in and I was shoving them out as fast as I could, trying to get out of here to make it to Seattle for Jake and the guy's new showroom opening, so the moment I stepped into the reception area, I kicked myself for not catching the scent quicker.

"Was Dr. O'Brien here?" I turned to Sky, trying not to show her how I was sniffing, and simultaneously wanting to explode out of my skin with joy.

Sky cleared her throat. "Um, she came in this morning but you were with a patient and I didn't want to di—"

"Damn! What did you say to her?" I snapped.

Sky's face fell and I could tell I hurt her. But I had every right to, right? She hurt my imprint, I could tell by the way she was answering me that she hadn't been kind my Abby and I didn't like it one bit.

"Well, I just told her you were with a patient and that you send baskets to lots of girls—"

"YOU DID WHAT?!" I growled. I knew it had to be worse than she had let on and I could almost see Abby's face in my head. "You are about two seconds away from looking for a new job, Sky! What did she say?"

Sky's eyes started to water and I felt a little bad that I was so upset with her but in this case, Abby was my first priority. "She said thank you and then she left. I'm sorry, Dr. Clearwater, I didn't realize she was so important to you."

Inside I was thinking that she shouldn't be treating anyone like that, but I had to focus for the moment. I didn't say anything, I was too busy doing the deep breathing exercises Paul had taught the younger wolves to get them to phase back. Only I was hoping said breathing exercises would keep me from phasing and going after my receptionist. I walked back to my office, taking off my stethoscope and throwing the chart I had in my hands down on the desk.

"Eros! Get down!" I heard a familiar voice yell from the reception area.

"Sir, you can't bring a dog in here! Sir!" Sky yelled. "Sir! Please!"

I chuckled and tromped out of my office. "Where did you get the dog, Quil?" I asked, looking at big Quil Ateara, Jr., clutching a leash with a puppy attached.

"Ah, you like? This is Eros, Claire got him for me," Quil beamed at the mere mention of his imprint's name. I used to make fun of him for that, but now, I completely and utterly understood and I hadn't known my imprint even a fraction of the time that Quil had known Claire. Which brought me to another interesting question…

"Did you name him or did Claire?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as he followed me.

"Claire. Why?" Quil stepped behind me.

I stopped and turned back to him. "Yeah, Eros is the Greek god of love, lust, and sex. I think little Claire's trying to tell you something."

"Huh?" Quil mumbled as I opened the front door of the office.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, watching the taillights of Abby's car as she pulled out onto the main road. "Dammit!" I stomped my foot.

"Hi, Uncle Seth," Claire said, coming out of Abby's office with her backpack. I looked at her with a questioning gaze. What was she doing in Abby's office? "Oh, I got a job. I'm working for Dr. O'Brien. I get to like take the dogs out back to 'do their business' and I hold them while she takes their temperature. Pretty rad, huh?"

"That's great," I was shorter with her than I should've been. "Do you know where Dr. O'Brien went?"

Claire shrugged. "Probably home, she took Sadie with her," the small imprint said as she beamed at Quil. "Why do you wanna know anyway?"

I looked at Quil and shook my head. "Dammit, just tell her," I said.

"Well, you see…" Quil explained the situation while I wracked my brain with where she could have gone and how to make this better.

"You imprinted on Abby?" Claire's sweet innocent smile shone through the dark cloud I'd surrounded myself with, trying to find my imprint. "She won't be easy to crack, Seth. She's a good girl, though, and her sisters love her. Just don't, you know, don't hurt her, she won't be able to…" She trailed off and I knew what she meant, Abby was strong but frail, determined but unsure, she was a walking contradiction and it made me want her even more.

"I won't. Is _Tres Tess_ still open?" I shot a look to the happy, not quite couple.

"I think," Claire shrugged again and I growled. Did they not know this was a matter of urgent importance?

I didn't even say good bye as I walked away, my heavy footsteps carrying me down two doors to _Tres Tess, _the sound of the tinkling bells on the door ringing as I walked in. I'd been in the bakery before but I'd never actually looked around it before or paid attention to the small parts of Abby and her family in it. I noticed a picture of Tess and her sisters in the corner on a small shelf and, while I waited for someone to come from the back, I tried to figure out which one was Abby's Mom.

"Can I help you?" A voice said behind me as I whipped around. "Dr. Clearwater, to what do I owe the privilege?" Tess stood in front of me, her round figure complete with an apron dusted with flour.

"Mrs. McAlester," I smiled. How exactly do I ask her about Abby without seeming like a creepy stalker? "I wanted to get some coffee and try one of your famous turnovers."

"Oh, well, in that case," she smiled, going to the counter only a quarter filled with tempting baked goods. "Apple, cherry, or peach?"

I looked over the lot, trying to decide. "Well, if you had to say you had a favorite, what would it be?"

"Peach," she said, pointing to the turnovers in the counter.

"I'll take one of those then. And what about your nieces, which do they prefer?" I asked, trying to be suave about it.

Tess laughed. "Well, see my nieces are three very different people. Ashley likes the apple, Ava the cherry, but Abby, she likes these." She turned around, stooping down and picking up a tray from a shelf. "I don't generally sell them to anyone, I just make a few and keep them for her." She turned around to me. "They're lemon, I don't make them like that others, but the tart and sweetness are very Abigail."

"I'll take one of each," I told her as she boxed them up.

"Why the sudden interest in my nieces, if you don't mind me asking?" Tess said, pouring coffee into a paper cup for me and then going to the cash register.

"How much?" I asked as she shook her head.

"I was gonna have to throw 'em out anyway, they're on the house. Now, about my nieces," she handed me the box.

"I'm, um, they live here in Forks, right?" I said, nonchalantly.

"They live a little north, past La Push Road on Highway 101," she said. Tess eyed me carefully, before she spoke. "2422 Spears Way. Take Sitkum-Solduc Road east a mile. Theirs is only one of three houses."

"Thank you, Mrs. McAlester," I said. "Would Abby, would she be there now, you think?"

She nodded. "Probably, I was just getting ready to close up so she's probably home by now."

"Thanks again," my mood suddenly got cheerier as I almost skipped to my car, getting in and driving north, calling Sky to let her know that I was gone for the day, not apologizing. It was funny, as I got closer to the O'Brien's house, her scent got stronger, cinnamon, mixed with a pumpkin smell, like Thanksgiving. It seriously was enough that I had to adjust myself in my seat to keep my body from reacting.

The house was easy to find, nestled in a few trees with two other modernesque homes. I pulled into the driveway, noticing that Abby's car wasn't there, but the silver Volkswagen was. And lights were on, so someone had to be home. I walked up to the door, the box of pastries in my hand. The moment I stepped out, a howl filled the air, not from La Push but from inside the house. I made a mental note, not only did I have to win over the Abby and her sisters but the dog too.

"Hiya, Dr. Seth!" Ashley said, opening the front door before I had a chance to ring the bell.

"Good evening, Ashley," I said as Sadie cowered away from me.

"Ash, who is it?" a voice called, not _the_ voice, not the one I had been begging to hear.

"It's Dr. Seth!" Ashley yelled back. "So, whatcha doin?" She was the cutest little girl and she had eyes that matched Abby's, the most beautiful color, like emeralds.

"I actually wondered if I might speak to Abby for a minute," I said, showing her the box. "I brought some stuff from your aunt's shop."

Ashley's face fell a little. "Oh, um, she's not here. She went to the grocery store." Ashley looked behind her, glancing from side to side, as her voice became a whisper. "Don't tell anyone this, but I think something happened today. Abby was so sad when she picked me up from Betsy's. I asked her if one of the animals she was takin' care of died or something. She said no but she was sad for sure."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, knowing I had been the cause of that. "Does she get her groceries in Forks?"

"Yep, at the Thrifty Mart," she answered me. "You goin' to see her?"

I nodded. "Hopefully. If I miss her, will you tell her I came by, please?"

Ashley nodded and then did the strangest thing. She pushed the door the rest of the way open and hugged me, tight. I hugged back, though and after a moment she pulled away. "You'll make sure she's okay?" I knew that Ashley was talking more than just about making sure she'd made it to the grocery store. Was it possible this little girl noticed my connection to her sister too?

"Yes," I whispered, as she moved back into the house.

"Come see us again, sometime, kay?" she grinned big, a few of her teeth missing.

"I will," I waved, walking back down the porch steps and driving back into Forks. The supermarket wasn't big and I could see Abby's car. She had parked close to the wooded area and my wolf senses tensed thinking that she shouldn't put herself in danger like that, who knows what could come out of those woods, deer, crazed men, wolves. The last thought gave me an idea, as I parked far enough from her car that she wouldn't notice me, running into the wooded area and phasing. It was stupid and dangerous, I could've been seen and then there would've been deep consequences, but I didn't care. I had to protect my future mate. I found a comfy spot and lay down, waiting.

_You're not patrolling tonight, are you, Seth? I thought you were going to Seattle for the Shipo opening?_ Lil' G said in my head.

_No, now leave me alone. I'm trying to wait for my imprint_, I said back, shooting him images of Abby.

_Geez, you don't have to be so rude about it_, Lil' G said back.

I was preparing myself to block him out when Abby walked out of the store, her cell phone attached to her ear. "No, Ava, they didn't have the Ranch dressing you like…I'll call Chloe in the morning and have her go to the store and send some…I understand that…I realize this is just another reason you think this place sucks but what do you want me to do about it? I couldn't control you in Oklahoma, Ava, that's why we're here, remember? Fine, I'll be home in a minute." She hung up, throwing the bags of groceries in the hatchback before throwing her purse in the passenger's seat, climbing in the car, and then, she did something that broke me into a million pieces.

"Why?" Abby said, her breaths becoming ragged as she slumped forward and put her hands over her face. "I just need you guys to come back. I can't…I can't do this, and everything is so…I though he liked me and I thought for once I would get to be normal." Her sobs took over and she cried.

_Damn,_ Lil G' said.

_Shut up! _I responded back. Abby was hurting and all I wanted to do was to hold her. But I couldn't do anything. I had partially caused this, and at present, I was a giant wolf. I would scare her if I got close. So I did nothing. I sat and listened as she cried, intermingling the tears with words.

"What if I don't get any better at this…if Ava hates me and Ashley…they're all I've got left…Mom…" that broke my heart more. I had thought she was talking to no one, that she was just expressing her frustration and fear. But she wasn't; she was talking with her Mom in a conversation that sounded very much like ones I had had with my long passed Dad.

I watched as Abby composed herself, looking in the mirror to remove any signs of her tears, then started the car and drove off, her taillights like little reminders of how much I'd screwed up. I phased back, pulling on my clothes, and debating. Do I go to Seattle for the opening or do I go to Abby and fix this? I knew there was only one person I could talk to and she wasn't here and she wouldn't have time for a phone call. So I forewent the usual primping for the party, driving to Seattle like a bat out of hell.

The new showroom was magnificent, perfect for the group of guys running it, and I almost felt a tinge of jealousy at their camaraderie. "Looks great, man," I said, slapping Jake on the back while trying to resist the urge to come out of my skin.

"You okay?" Ness asked from next to him.

"Yeah, just stuff," I tried to smile, but I could still feel Abby's pain.

"What happened?" Ness asked, and while she should've been partying with the others, she took the time to listen as I explained everything to her. At some point, Jake had been pulled away by a magazine for an interview, and Nessie stayed with me as I fought back tears.

Jake walked up as I finished telling the tale, wrapping his arm around Ness and then scooting closer to me. "I know why you imprinted on her. I think it has to do with the whole making better wolves, but I think it's more than that too, you know? You have to heal each other," probably the best friend I could ever ask for said. "There's no doubt in my mind that what Nessie told you is what you need to do. You have to show her _you_. So quit raining on my party and get your ass to your imprint." He gave me a little shove as I chuckled.

"Thanks," I said, hugging Ness and then Jake. AJ followed me to the car.

"Can I get a ride?" I wasn't exactly sure why the hell he was leaving early, but he was more than inebriated and I didn't want him driving home by himself.

"Sure," I said, hopping into the Land Rover. "Hold on tight." And I sped off, making one stop at a 24-hour grocery store to buy Ranch dressing, though why I felt the need to complete Abby's grocery list at this hour, I had no idea, then making the drive back to Forks, faster than the drive from. AJ was on edge, gripping the seat and I chuckled as his knuckles whitened.

"Dude, what the hell?" he asked as I pulled into Forks.

"Sorry, my imprint needs me," I smirked, stopping at La Push Road, AJ more than sober now. "Phase and run home," I kicked him out of the car, then drove back to the O'Brien's house. I parked down the street, running into the woods in the cover of darkness, phasing.

_I will make this up to you, Abigail_, I thought, and I would. I already had my plan in place. I would show her me, my life. In the meantime, I would let all other creatures who might wander into the area, know she was mine as I skipped tree to tree, marking my territory.


	6. Let the Healing Begin

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, are my babies.**

**A special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Nina! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's homes and other aspects of their lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com. **

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 11 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. I highly recommend it and it will give you an insight into the vamp that makes an appearance at the end of this chapter. **

**On a separate note, I'm so stoked for the **_**New Moon**_** release on Friday. I'm going with three other teachers to the midnight showing on Thursday and I'm planning on showing lots of videos on Friday. It will be well worth it!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Let the Healing Begin**

**Abby's POV**

"Abby," a voice said in my ear. "Abby." I felt someone shaking me. I knew I was asleep, and from how I felt, it couldn't be morning yet. Yesterday had been a horrible day, and after the trip to the grocery store, a fight with Ava, and a long bath, reflecting on the rejection from Dr. Sexy, I didn't want to wake up until, oh, say Wednesday. "There's an emergency, Abby, you need to wake up." It was Ava's voice and she sounded desperate.

When the urgency in her voice finally hit me, I shot out of bed. "What? What is it? Is it Ashley? Are you okay?" I was shaking as I looked at her.

"Mr. Williams is on the phone. He said it's an emergency. Someone shot his dog," Ava handed me the cordless next to the bed. "I'm sorry I scared you, but you wouldn't wake up."

I shook my head a little, trying to knock the sleep from my head. "It's okay," I squinted, looking at the clock to find it was only 3 a.m. I pushed the TALK button on the phone. "Mr. Williams?"

"Dr. O'Brien? I'm so sorry to wake you up. It's Ransom, I heard the loudest gunshot and then he was crying. I didn't know what else to do, I…" Mr. Williams' voice sounded panicked and I knew that the sleep I was craving was going to be on hold.

"Mr. Williams, calm down. Is Ransom breathing?" I asked as I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my coat. My pajamas would have to do for now.

"Yes, I got him in the truck," he said.

"Okay, I'm on my way to the office now, okay? Just stay calm and meet me there," I said, hanging up the phone. I turned to my sister who was still standing in the exact spot she had been minutes ago. "Go back to bed, Ave. I'll call in a bit." I walked to her and pulled her into a hug before starting down the stairs.

"Abbs," Ava called after me.

"Yeah," I turned back to her.

"I'm sorry for being a pain last night, I know you're trying your best and I don't make it any easier. I just, I really miss 'em is all and sometimes I forget, you know? That when I wake up in the morning, they won't be there or I won't be in Oklahoma. I just," she stopped and looked down, hiding tears. I cried, a lot. Ashley cried, but Ava, Ava didn't cry. In the whole time since our parents had died, I could count the number of times she cried on one hand.

"I know, sweets," I said back to her from the bottom of the stairs. "We'll talk about it some more when I get home, okay?" I looked up at her.

"Okay," she nodded. "Good luck, Abbs."

"Thanks," I said. _I'm gonna need it_, I thought to myself as I made my way to the car, locking the backdoor behind me and unlocking the car. I turned the ignition and sped off to the office. It was always so eerie driving this late. In Oklahoma City, there was always someone on the roads, no matter the time. But here in Forks, where the population was about an eighth of Oklahoma City, after ten, there was usually no one on the roads. I didn't turn the radio on, and off in the distance, I swore I could hear a wolf howl. It was an interesting sound, one that I hadn't heard before moving here.

I pulled into the parking lot beside Mr. Williams' truck. I noticed his open door, as I hopped out of my car. I took one look at Mr. Williams' face, and I knew. I was too late. The beautiful Alaskan Malamute dog was laid across his lap, a blanket soaked in blood covering him. "I tried to stop the bleeding, but it was just too much," Mr. Williams said as I leaned down to him. The man had to be about 70 years old and I knew his wife well, but I could see this dog was his, his pride and joy.

"I'm so sorry," I said, my voice almost a whisper as I looked at the dog. I knew he was gone, but it didn't matter. I ran my hand over his fur and held his paw. "Good boy. You can rest now," I whispered as I leaned down and kissed the dog's snout. I looked back at Mr. Williams, who must have thought I was crazy at this point, but I didn't care. "You said someone shot him? Where do you live?"

Mr. Williams wiped his own tears. "La Push Road, right before the reservation."

"It's wooded, right? Do you think maybe someone mistook Ransom for a wolf?" I asked. "He wasn't a vicious dog though. You're sure you heard gunshots?"

"Yeah," he said, petting the dog. What I was about to volunteer to do, I hated. It was second only in my book to euthanizing an animal, but it was hard for me, dealing with any kind of death was hard for me, but if it meant giving this poor helpless animal closure, I would do it.

"Do you, do you want me to get him cleaned up for you?" I asked, watching the elderly man's hand shake as he petted the fur. "I don't know what you had planned but I can clean him up so you can take him home."

Mr. Williams nodded, hoisting Ransom's lifeless body as I stood and unlocked the office door. He put him on the exam table, the blanket still covering him. "Do you want me to stay? I don't know if I can see that."

"It's okay," I said, taking the old man's hand. "You can go home and I'll call you, okay?"

He nodded, running his hand over his face as I followed him out. "Thank you, Dr. O'Brien, I'm sorry for dragging you out of bed," I opened the door for Mr. Williams.

"It's no problem. Go home, get some rest and I'll call you when he's ready," I said shutting the door behind him and locking the door. I walked back to the office, taking one look at the dog on the table and went to work.

**SETH'S POV**

I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, thinking about how I was going to approach this situation, how I was going to heal my imprint. I woke up early, around seven, and I called Quil, who in turn called Claire, who called me to give me Abby's home phone number. It was the long way to go about it, but Claire wanted Abby to be happy almost as much as the women in her family did, so she didn't hesitate to pass the number along.

"Hello?" A not quite chipper voice said into the phone. I knew the voice right away, and it wasn't Abby.

"Good morning, Ava. This is Seth Clearwater, I was wondering if I could talk to Abby," I said nonchalantly, trying to sound unassuming.

"Oh…" she trailed off. "Um, Abby's actually not here."

"Is she ever home?" I asked with a bit of a chuckle. It seemed like we were two ships passing in the night, always missing each other and it was starting to wear on me. I needed to hear her say my name, to see her eyes look at me.

"Well, she had an emergency last night and had to go to the office. She's still there I think. You can, you should call her or go see her. She had a rough night and I know she can use a friend, someone other than her sisters to talk to," Ava said. Of the O'Brien sisters, I knew she'd be the hardest the crack. She was tough, not like Abby-tough, but more like a gets-what-she-wants-when-she-wants-it tough.

"Of course," I said. If Abby needed a friend, I would be the best friend ever.

"Okay, then, do you want her cell?" she asked.

"Please," I said, as she spouted off the number. I hung up and dialed quickly. It rang once, then twice.

"This is Dr. O'Brien," Abby's voice sounded like heaven on the other end. I was so wrapped up in her voice, that I sat just listening to her take slow even breaths. "Hello?" her voice brought me out of my trance.

"Hey, Abby," I breathed out.

"Um, Dr. Clearwater?" she said, confusion evident in her voice.

"Yeah, I wondered if we could talk. I know we didn't get a chance to, well, I didn't get a chance to talk to you about what happened and I thought maybe we could just chat," I said, trying to sound confident enough. I was confident, confident that my heart belonged to Abby, confident that I needed her with every bone in my body, craved her with ever cell of my being. But I wasn't so confident about what her answer would be.

There was a pregnant pause as she thought of her response. "Okay. I'm not dressed very nice," she whispered, as if that would matter to me.

"It's fine, Abby," I said back, hoping to relax her a little.

"Okay, so, I'll see you in a bit, Dr. Clearwater," her voice sounded a little more upbeat. Maybe she was going to be happy to see me. But this Dr. Clearwater stuff would never work.

"Call me Seth and I'll be there before you know it," I said. "Bye, Abigail." I smiled, hanging up the phone. I ran to the car, pulling out of the garage, making my way to Forks in record time. The familiar red Subaru sat in front of the vet office, I looked down to see if the coffee shop was open, hoping to have some sort of peace offering. I didn't know how she would take her coffee so I got it black and then grabbed the little extras people prefer in their coffee, practically skipping to the vet's office.

I pulled at the door, almost falling on my ass with the force of pulling a locked door, thankful that I hadn't ripped it off the hinges. I knocked softly, as Abby popped her head from around the corner and unlocked the door for me. I couldn't help but smile at her. She was dressed in medical scrubs, her hair pushed behind her ears, no makeup but a little pink, cherry scented chapstick.

"Good morning," I said, as she held the door open for me.

"Good morning to you too," Abby let out a small smile.

"I brought you some coffee," I handed her the cup as she locked the door behind me.

"Thanks. Do you wanna go to my office to chat?" she looked down.

I couldn't help myself. I put my finger under her chin and brought her gaze up to meet mine. She looked so tired and sad and I had to stop myself from running my finger over her cheek and pulling her into a hug. "What's wrong?" I asked softly, watching her face carefully as she pushed her hair back.

"I'm sorry, I'm being a baby, it's just that…I had this dog die and I was cleaning it up and it just makes me so sad," her eyes were slowly filling with a dam of tears.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, as Abby started to sniffle. I pulled a handkerchief out my pocket, an old-fashioned habit I learned from Dr. Cullen, and handed it to her. She dried her few tears, and then looked back at me, sadness still evident in her eyes. "Let's sit down."

She nodded and then headed towards the back to a small office. The walls were painted a rich chocolate brown, with white accents. Her desk and the shelves behind it were littered with pictures and I smiled at them, some posed, some candid. I picked up one in the corner of her desk and flipped it over to look at it. A tall man with a flannel shirt and cowboy hat, sat on top of a horse with a little girl in front of him.

"That was my Dad," Abby said, looking down at the cup of coffee in front of her.

"What did he do?" I asked, I already knew, but I wanted to hear it from her, I wanted her to tell me what I needed to know. In all honesty, I wanted to know every single intricate detail of her life, and I could Google all day but it wouldn't be the same as hearing it from her mouth.

She cleared her throat and turned to a mini-fridge behind her desk, pulling out a small glass bottle of milk and a bottle of chocolate syrup. She was methodical about it, pouring in a little more than a splash of milk, followed by the syrup, and stirring it with the small wooden stir stick. "He was a vet, he specialized in big animals," she put the lid back on and sipped it. "Do you want this?" she pushed the bottle of milk towards me and I took it, making sure to touch the back of her hand.

"Thanks," I smiled at her pouring a little in and then putting in three packs of sugar and stirring. "Is this his horse?" I pulled the picture back out and pointed.

"Yep, his name was Traveller. He died when I was…" she pursed her lips and looked to the ceiling. "I think I was ten. I was seven in that picture."

I chuckled. "You were a cute kid," her cheeks turned an instant pink.

"Thanks," she said sipping at her coffee. "You grew up in La Push, right?" I nodded to her. "Do your folks still live there?"

"My Mom does. My Dad…" It had been a long time since I had talked openly about my Dad. I was able to hide the fact that I missed him so much, but sometimes it was like a giant hole existed in my chest, or that I wanted him here with me now, telling me how to win over my imprint, or to see our children. "My Dad passed away when I was fifteen."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Does it…Does the pain ever go away?" I could hear her tears in her voice and I almost kicked myself for bringing it up.

"I don't think it ever fully goes away. You learn how to deal with it and how to lean on those around you, but the feeling of loss is never gone," I told her honestly, looking into her eyes.

"Do you know about my parents? About what happened to them?" Abby's voice was hesitant like she wanted to share but was afraid of what to say.

So I nodded and whispered to her. "Yes."

"Sometimes, I'll be going through old stuff and come across a shirt that belonged to my Dad and it will still smell like him. Or a purse of my Mom's and it still has her lipstick in it, and I have to remind myself that they're gone," she chewed on her bottom lip and messed with the lid on her cup.

"I know what that's like, Abby. I know how it feels to miss someone like that," I leaned forward in my chair, almost searching for her hand that sat on top of the desk as I grabbed hold of it. "My Dad was pretty special, he was important, you know? Not because of what his job was or because of money, God knows it wasn't because of money. He was an Elder in our tribal council, and he was the best damn fisherman that ever existed, and cooking, oh, he made the best fish fry," I spoke openly, holding her hand as she looked at me.

"I haven't really said much about them in awhile. It makes me feel bad to talk about them but then I feel like I'm forgetting them or that I don't want to remember them, but it just hurts," she slumped forward.

"I know," I said, scooting closer and wanted to pummel the desk between us. "Tell me something about them, your favorite thing about them."

I could tell she was thinking. "My Mom loved peacock feathers," she said quietly. "When they got married, she had them in all the decorations and floral arrangements. And my Dad, well, he loved everything my Mom loved. I sometimes think that it's probably a good thing they died together because there's no way one could've lived without the other." She looked back at her coffee and then at me, her emerald eyes, shimmering.

"Do you miss Oklahoma?" I asked, and with one blink the tears spilled over.

Abby nodded. "It was our home, I'd never known anywhere else. But there were certain circumstances that I couldn't control that led us here."

"Have you always been close to your Aunt?" I asked, finishing the last drop of my coffee.

"Yeah, she and my Aunt Shannon. She still lives in Oklahoma, my cousin Chloe, the one from the tattoo fiasco, that's her Mom," her tears were still slowly trickling down her cheeks and she wiped them away with the back of her hands. "My Dad has a sister that lives in Miami and when my parents died, the initial plan was that Ashley would come here to Forks to live with Tess and Ava would go to Florida to live with my Aunt Lydia. She's kinda a bitch though. A shame too cuz she married to a real nice guy," her accent was slipping in a little and it was, well, it was HOT. I noticed her pause and the tears get heavier. "I couldn't lose them, though. I'd lost everything else and I needed my sisters. They were the best part of my parents and I needed that. Maybe that was selfish of me, maybe I should've let them go."

"What made you come to Forks, other than Tess?" I asked.

She eyed me closely and shook her head. "I don't think I know you well enough to tell you that, I don't want to make things awkward for my sisters. Besides, I've probably wasted your time, I know you have a lot of women you're interested in and I don't want to keep you from that."

I had slain vampires, grown up with Leah as a sister, but my truly bravest moment was about to happen. I got out of my seat across from her and walked over to the side of her desk, standing right next to her chair as I put my hand out for her to hold, and she took it almost like magic, fitting perfectly in my palm. "What Sky said, that's not, well, it's not entirely true. I used to have a few girls I was interested in but now, I really like you, Abby, there's something so special about you."

"You don't know me, Seth," she shook her head but kept her hand in mine.

"I know more than you think," I retorted. "I know that you like Lemon Turnovers, I know that love your family, that you would sacrifice your own happiness for them, I know that you have special place in your heart for dogs, and I know that you deserve to have someone want you like I do."

Abby's face looked a little confused. "You…you want me?"

"Well, I'd start with a date and go from there, but yeah, I want you. You sell yourself short, Abigail O'Brien, you are unique and loving and that's what I like most about you," I ran my finger down her cheek this time, resisting the urge to pull her in for a kiss.

"And if you dated me, what would happen the first time I had to cancel a date because Ashley was sick or Ava's in trouble?" she looked at me and I knew, I knew she wanted to say yes.

"Then we reschedule. What would happen the first time I have an emergency or a meeting with tribal Elders, what would you do?"

"It's not the same, Seth. You would have to know that my sisters, I'm the closest thing to a parent they have," she said with so much conviction that my heart swelled. Was it possible to love someone that you'd only spoken to a total of two times? "And when some other, better looking, funnier girl comes along, and you realize that you're wasting your time with me, I don't…I can't deal with that rejection."

How could I tell her that that was never, ever going to happen? That I would love her until my last breath, that my heart would never beat for anyone else, except, well, except maybe our children, our babies, the perfect combination of the two of us. That it physically hurt me to be so much as a mile away from her, my chest not able to fill with oxygen without her. But I knew if I just came out and said that, I would scare her away. "I'm not asking for forever right now, Abby, I just want you to give me a chance, get to know me, that way we're able to keep our responsibilities and just learn about each other." Her eyes looked away from me for a minute, her cheeks pinking up and her smile slipping through.

"Okay," she whispered.

It took every ounce of my control to keep from jumping up and down, kissing her, and telling her how much she meant to me. "Yeah?" I asked, excitement and anticipation in my voice.

"Yeah," she looked up and our eyes locked. It was just like the first time I'd seen those eyes, those sparkling green wonderlands. I felt the pull again, as hard as the first time too. "Woo," she shivered. "Did you feel that?"

"Huh?" I was speechless looking at her.

"It was like sparks, like I don't know," she smiled at me, and I decided at the moment, I would work everyday of our life together to never let that smile leave her face.

"So, this date," I started only to be interrupted by a knock on the front door.

"Ooh, that's Mr. Williams. He's here to pick up Ransom," her face instantly fell.

I released the small hold I had on her, as she reluctantly let me go too. "I guess I should go, but, uh, do you need help?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I need to take care of this but if you…" she trailed off as another knock came.

I felt my phone vibrate and looked down at the caller ID. _Mom_. "I should probably go take this. I'll, um, come see you tomorrow. And we can set up that date," I smiled as I tip toed out the back door, not wanting to cause any gossip by my presence in her office, alone.

"Good morning, Mom," I faked a happy tone.

"Well, good morning to you too. You sure don't seem too happy to hear from me," Mom said, more than a little annoyed.

"Geez, sorry. I was just—," I started before Mom cut me off.

"Ooh, were you with Abigail? Oh, oh, tell me all about it," Mom's giddiness brought out a huge grin from me, as I went over every detail of our morning conversation. "So she agreed to go out with you? That's a start."

"I know, I just hope she'll start to trust me. I could kill Sky for screwing this up," I told Mom.

"Here's what I'm gonna do," she said and I interrupted her.

"You're not going to do anything, you'll scare her away," I said. "I'm saving you and Charlie for awhile. And I'm thinking she never gets to meet Leah. Leah will chew her up and spit her out."

"Don't talk about your sister that way. She loves you and you love her," Mom said.

"I know, but I also know that Leah is too protective of me sometimes," I told her, opening the office and punching in the alarm code.

"Actually, my suggestion was that I bring Henry in for Abby to check out. I'd like to meet my future daughter-in-law," Mom chuckled.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Mom," I walked to my office and plopped down in the chair, listening as Abby said goodbye to Mr. Williams. "Does Henry need to go to the vet?"

Henry, whose real name was King Henry the Eighth, was a Himalayan cat, perhaps the world's bitchiest at that. His name suited him well as he always looked like he was thinking over plans of world domination or decapitation. Mom had only had him for a few months, claiming that she needed the company, though she always had visitors at the house, visitors of the human nature.

"I think he probably needs boosters, and I just don't trust that other vet. He's kinda a jackass if you ask me," Mom chuckled again.

So that's what Mom did. She called and set up an appointment for Henry to come in the next Monday, and I spent all of Sunday worrying that she might gush over me or say too much and creep Abby out. I got to my office early the next morning, before Sky, before Abby got to hers, and I listened really hard through the walls as Mom dropped Henry off, making sure she wasn't spilling anything that could embarrass me. All was well and good until I caught a scent. It was a vamp scent, but it wasn't like the ones I was used to, it definitely was not a Cullen.

"Excuse me for a minute," I told my patient as I sniffed my way out the door. What was about to happen wasn't something I'd worried about pre-imprint. Before, I worried about my brothers and sister, about protecting the tribe. Now though I had one major person I needed to protect and panic set in as I realized Abby was next door. What if that damn vampire tried to get my Abby? No, that wouldn't do, I couldn't chance it.

I burst through the door at the vet office, Abby's receptionist looking up. "Dr. Clearwater?"

"Is Abby here?" I asked, looking around and sniffing. It wasn't working though, all I could smell were dogs and cats.

"Yeah, she and Claire are in the back. Is everything okay?" she asked.

"I need to see her. Right now," I was short and to the point as a traipsed back to the exam room where Abby was holding Henry. She looked up quickly at me, confusion all over her face.

"Uncle Seth?" Claire asked, taking hold of the cat while Abby filled a syringe.

"You're her Uncle?" Abby asked, eyeing both me and the vaccine in her hand.

"Well, he's not really my Uncle, I just call him that. He could be like my cousin-in-law though. See my Aunt Emily is his cousin, so I guess, um, well, it's kinda confusing. Plus, he's good friends with my Quil," Claire smiled at the mention of Quil's name.

"My Quil?" Abby raised an eyebrow, as I started to pace.

"Yeah, you know, Mr. Ateara. He's like my best friend and he protects me. I was gonna ask, do you think Quil would like it if I got my tongue pierced?" Claire daydreamed and kept her hold on the cat as Abby quickly pushed the needle in.

"Reerrrr!" Henry hissed and squirmed in Claire's grip.

"All done," Abby said, petting the angry, sulking feline. "And you, young lady, why do you care if Quil would like it if you got your tongue pierced?"

Claire looked at me and I shook my head. This was not a good conversation for her to be having right now, not with a wild vampire on the loose, not with my imprint in danger. This was life or death and she wanted to know about tongue piercings.

"I don't know. I just thought they were cool and I heard they're good for blow jobs," Claire said a bit too honestly as I coughed.

"What?!" Abby spat as Claire shrugged. Abby looked at me. "I'm sorry, Seth. Is everything okay? If you keep pacing, I'm gonna have to replace that tile. You're gonna wear a hole in it."

"Yeah, I just…" I looked at Claire and held out my cell phone to her. "Claire, can you go call Quil for me? Ask him if he's heard about that stuff we look out for, you know? _That thing_?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," she said as she accepted my phone and walked out of the small exam room. Abby stood at the counter filling out paperwork.

"I met your Mom," she said without looking up.

"Yeah, you know that thing we talked about yesterday, the date?" I asked, slowing my paces as she looked up.

"Yeah, what about it?" she asked.

"Let's go ahead and set that up. Are you busy like tomorrow?" I asked, sniffing around the office and looking around.

"Tomorrow night's Tuesday. Hmmm, I think Ava's got some sorta meeting at school. I won't have anyone to watch Ashley," she looked at me with pain in her eyes. I needed this, I needed to be with her and make her happy.

"Bring her. We can go for pizza or something," I said, as Abby smiled, my nose twitched.

"Really?" Abby asked as Claire walked in.

"He wants to talk to you," Claire said, handing me the phone.

"Tomorrow night, okay?" I said to Abby as I took the phone. "I'll pick you guys up at six. Sound good?"

"Tomorrow night then," she smiled bigger.

I walked out to the lobby, listening to Abby and Claire giggle. I couldn't help but smile to myself at their cuteness. I put the phone to my ear as I walked out. "Yeah?"

"Hey, we had a little situation but I think everything's cool now. Things good there?" Quil asked.

"Yeah, Abby's fine," I said, looking around outside, particularly checking the wooded area to my right, relaxing when I caught the scent of a couple of my brothers.

"I didn't ask about Abby, but okay," Quil said. "There's a vamp headed out of town right about now. Let him pass. Jake wants us to come over later so we can discuss this new incident."

"Kay, I'll see you then," I wasn't really even paying attention, my heart beating so fast at the thought of my date with Abby tomorrow night. I looked to the left to see Tokala, my fellow wolf brother leaning up against a building as a motorcycle sped past us, taking off out of town. I looked at Tokala again as he gave me a nod. _Vamp_.


	7. Pizza, Patsy Panda, and Dinner

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, are my babies.**

**A special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Nina! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's homes and other aspects of their lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com. **

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 12 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. I promise, if you do, you'll get to see what Jake thinks of Seth's imprint and some Nessie love.**

**So, who thinks that New Moon kicked Twilight's ass?! I swear, I've seen it twice and planning on at least six more!**

**I have to apologize. This chapter is extremely long but necessary.**

CHAPTER 6: PIZZA, PATSY PANDA, AND DINNER WITH THE BLACKS

SETH'S POV

I relished every minute I had with Abby that Monday, and took pride in knowing I had protected her from the rogue vampire, who actually turned out to not be entirely too bad, according to Jake and Embry. My concern was my imprint and I listened through the wall. Her voice was bubbly throughout the day.

"So, a little birdy told me, you got a date with the animal doc and her little sister tonight?" Quil said sitting on the corner of my desk in my office. He handed me the turkey sandwiches he'd picked up for us to chow down on during the hour I had for lunch.

"And would this little birdy also happened to have asked my imprint if you'd like for her to get her tongue pierced because they're good for blow jobs?" I asked, chugging a whole 20-ounce bottle of Coke.

Quil's eyes got big as he looked at me. "Not my Claire-bear."

I couldn't help but laugh. Claire was 16-going-on-30. She had grown into a beautiful young lady and I knew, though he was denying feeling anything but friendship, Quil was beginning to feel more, too. "Yeah, and believe it or not, I was there to hear the whole thing," I chuckled.

Quil swallowed hard. "Um, what…what do I do?"

"Nothing right now," I said. "I don't want Charlie calling in any favors to get you out of jail and I don't want Emily's brother-in-law beating your ass because you can't control yourself."

Quil shrugged. "You're taking the little girl with you? I'm guessing that means no nookie for Seth tonight," he chuckled.

"Shut up! You know better than anyone else that imprinting isn't about sex. I have to get her to trust me before we even think about that next step," I said, finishing off a bag of Cheetos.

"Yeah, well, it's been fifteen years since I even kissed a girl. What if Claire tries to, you know, kiss me? What if I suck? Should I practice? Who would I practice with?! Damn this is complicating!" Quil threw down his napkin.

"You need to relax," I told him, looking at the clock and catching a new scent as Quil sat up straighter. "Speaking of Claire-bear…"

"Yo, Uncle Seth!" Claire yelled from the front.

"Miss Munholland, you can't just go back there!" Sky tried to stop her.

"It's fine, Sky," I said, rolling my chair to the door and waving Claire in.

"Hey, Uncle Seth," Claire said running over to me and giving me a quick hug. "Hey, Quil," she said, nervously.

"Hey, Claire-bear," Quil said and almost instantly Claire's face fell.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that? I'm not a child, Quil," Claire said, getting closer to his face. I couldn't tell if she was yelling at him or just wanted an excuse to get close to his lips.

"I know, Claire, I'm just so used to saying it," Quil said as Claire crossed her arms on her chest and huffed.

Claire's eyes looked me over as she squinted. "Where is this date happening?" she asked. "And what are you wearing?" She kept her eyes on me as I started to answer.

"My plan was pizza in Port Angeles, you know, the one with the little arcade thingy in it," I answered her.

"You're taking Ashley?" Claire took a bag of chips from my desk, ripping them open and snacking on a few. "She'll like that. Abby's fun, Seth. She just needs someone to remind her of that. And I think you might be just the guy for the task."

"Thanks" I said as she gave me a final hug.

"Off to the working world," she said, kissing Quil's cheek. "You'll pick me up right?"

Quil nodded with a grin. "Of course."

"Good," she said, making googoo eyes at Quil who was oblivious.

"I suppose I should leave the good doctor to his…whatever it is you have to do this afternoon," Quil grabbed a cookie and swallowed it whole.

"Thanks for lunch," I said shaking Quil's hand before he left.

The rest of the day was a blur, every single thought I had consumed by my beautiful, sweet, sensitive, angelic, precious Abigail. It was so bad, my actions felt robotic to this point and I don't even remember getting dressed and driving to the O'Brien's house. Before I realized it, I was ringing the door bell at Abby's house.

"Dr. Seth!" Ashley squealed as she flung the door open and grabbed me in a hug. "Is it true that we're going on a date?"

"Sorry," Abby said from the door. "I didn't think she would get so excited." Her smile lit up my own and I reached my hand out to her.

"It's okay. I'm pretty excited myself," I smirked as she took my hand, Ashley still attached to me.

"Let me grab my purse," Abby said, dropping my hand and disappearing into the house.

"I knew you'd make sure Abby was okay. She's been happy," Ashley said very low as she released me from the hug. She smiled up at me and her eyes sparkled as Abby reappeared before us. "I'm gonna go say bye to Sadie," the little girl said as she scampered off.

"She loves that dog, doesn't she?" I asked Abby.

She gave me a small nod. "I think she sees Sadie as her protector and guardian." If Abby only knew how much I could relate to being a protector.

"I can see that. Canines are natural protectors, but you probably already know that," I said putting out my hand for her to take again.

Abby complied and wrapped her fingers around the outside of my hand, sending shockwaves through us. "Wow, that always happens," she said. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were dragging your feet all the way here with all that static electricity," and I heard a slight giggle in her voice.

"Nah, must just be some sort of connection we have," I said, squeezing her hand and looking over at her. She was dressed in dark jeans with a turquoise sweater. She was gorgeous and I couldn't wait until the day I could be open with her and tell her everything. But for now, I needed to get our first date started.

"I'm ready," Ashley said, putting on a baseball cap and jean jacket. "Dr. Seth, are you ready for our date?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said animatedly, still holding onto Abby's hand while Ashley gripped my other. "I like your hat." Ashley had on a red cap with a white OU embroidered on it. She tugged on it before looking at me.

"We like OU. It stands for the University of Oklahoma," Ashley smiled.

"Did you go to OU?" I asked Abby helping them both into the car, once I was settled on my end Abby answered my question.

"For my undergrad. The only vet school is at Oklahoma State though," Abby said. "Where'd you go to school?"

"University of Washington. Well, by way of a community college in Port Angeles. I had to stay close to home with family stuff," I answered, pulling out of the driveway.

Abby nodded at me. "I commuted to OSU. It was an hour drive but I wanted to stay home. Then after…" She trailed off. "Thank you, by the way, for referring your friend and your Mom."

I smiled as I reattached our hands. "No problem. How was Henry?"

"Well, I sedated him a little so he wasn't too bad. I really like your Mom. She seems pretty amazing, certain things about her reminded me of…" she trailed off again.

"You can talk about them," I told her. "You don't have to avoid the subject."

"I just don't want you to see me as some poor, depressed girl that can't think about anything else and has to bring it up every five minutes."

"I don't think that at all. It was a life changing event. You can't just skim over it. It's kinda helped make you who you are, like my Dad," I squeezed her hand.

"Okay," she whispered. I looked over at her and it was almost like a ton of bricks had been removed. She was more relaxed, seemed to feel more comfortable, and her smile reappeared. God, I loved her smile. It was so soft and subtle, just like everything else about her, she almost never showed her teeth when she smiled, her small dimples showing though.

"Can we get cheese pizza? That's my favorite, you know? Have you ever been to the zoo? I love the zoo! Is there a zoo anywhere around here? Did you know that I used to have my own horse? His name was Red Eye, on account his coat was a red color around one of his eyes. I'd say my favorite animal is definitely a horse. What's yours?" Ashley rambled and I had to keep myself from chuckling at her. I could see Abby look a little embarrassed in the seat next to me and I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand to relax her again.

"I like wolves," I told her.

"Ooh, Claire told me a really cool story about wolves the other day," Ashley said and my attention was immediately on the small child in the backseat, praying that Claire didn't spill the beans.

"She told me that wolves are good protectors but that I shouldn't just walk up to them if I see them. I've seen one, you know? Around the house. It's a pretty sandy color. I call him Sandy," she said and I almost felt my eyes bulge.

"Yeah, you probably should stay away," Abby said. "We had a coyote problem one summer. It was hell to round them up."

"You rounded them up?" I asked, intrigued that other methods of extermination weren't used.

"Yeah, my family doesn't, we didn't ever belief in the alternative," Abby said, giving me an eye and clearly not wanting to say 'kill them.' "So we rounded them up and took them outside the city. That was the problem, they'd just gotten a little lost, after that we didn't really see any."

We continued the small talk until I pulled into Pirate Paulie's Pizza Parlor, where Abby held tight to an overly excited Ashley. It was endearing to watch them, Abby was so protective, quite ironic since Ashley seemed to have no fear of anything. "Pizza first or games first?" I asked Abby.

"Games!" Ashley said bouncing up and down.

"Pizza," Abby gave her a serious look as we made our way to the eating area. We ordered two pizzas, one of which I ate by myself, both the O'Brien girls looking at me like I was crazy.

"What?" I asked with a mouthful of pizza. "I'm a growing boy."

"Uh-huh, sure," Abby laughed as Ashley looked around waiting for me to finish.

We played games for at least an hour, everything from Hit-The-Gopher-On-The-Head to Putt-Putt golf. "Dr. Seth! Dr. Seth! Look at this game!" Ashley would yell and I'd chase after her with Abby in tow. By the end of the evening, after numerous games of Ski-Ball and a round or two in the batting cages, me trying to help Ashley hold the bat to swing at the slow moving ball, and then taking the beating when she'd miss and the ball hit me in the back, the three of us had accumulated enough tickets for a giant stuffed Panda bear.

"Her name shall be…Patsy Panda!" Ashley proclaimed holding it tight to her then passing it to me to carry to the car. It was over too soon and before I knew it, I was putting the Panda and the little girl attached to it in the car, taking my place in the driver's seat and putting my hand out for Abby to take as we headed back to Forks.

ABBY'S POV

It had been an amazing evening and I found Seth's hand outstretched for me to take. I smiled as I laced my fingers with his, feeling the electricity flow between us. "I like that feeling," I whispered, not thinking he could hear me.

"I do too," he said back to me, giving my hand a slight squeeze. His touch was so warm and relaxing. I couldn't help but think about how nicely and perfect our hands fit together, like they were made for one another. I had to stop myself from thinking too far ahead, we were on our first date and it felt like I could spend forever with him. Seth's gaze drifted to the rearview mirror. "I think she's worn out."

I turned in my seat to see Ashley laying her head on the overstuffed Panda bear she and Seth had won at the arcade. Her eyes were closed, a small smile on her lips. She looked so peaceful and serene.

"Thank you, for bringing her along," I said to Seth.

"No problem," he said. "I hope you had as great a time as I did. I really, really liked spending the evening with you. Can we, would you like to do it again, soon?"

"Yeah, really soon," I smiled as we pulled into the driveway, Ashley still passed out in the backseat. I grabbed my purse and leftover cotton candy while Seth put the car in park and turned off the ignition. He leaned close to me, releasing my hand. He ran a finger down my jawline, tucking it under my chin and leaning even closer, his lips only an inch or two away from mine.

"Patsy Panda," Ashley mumbled from the backseat as Seth and I both took a breath and he pulled away.

"I'll carry her in," Seth said getting out of his side of the car and jogging over to open my door. He extended his hand with a smirk and helped me out of the car.

"Thanks," I smiled hopping down. "I'll go unlock the door."

Seth pulled Ashley to his chest with one arm, while carrying the giant Panda in his other arm. He looked like a natural at it, and my mind, getting ahead of me again, wandered to a time when maybe we would have a child together, one he would coddle and carry so lovingly. "Everything okay?" he asked as I stood there with the key in my hand but not unlocking the bolt.

"Yeah, sorry, my mind kinda went elsewhere," I apologized and finally opened the door for us to go in. I walked up the stairs with Seth following me, a slight hum coming from him. It was enchanting almost, pulling me even closer to him. He laid Ashley down on her bed gently. "Thank you," I said and started to pull Ash's shoes off and pull the covers over her.

"You don't have to thank me, Abby, I wanted to do it," Seth whispered to me as I shut the door behind us. "I love that you love your sisters so much. And it makes me happy to see you happy." He was so blunt, there was no waver in his tone, no second thoughts, he was saying exactly what he felt, and for the first time in my life, I let my heart dictate my decisions, instead of my head. I closed the space between us, taking his hand, lacing our fingers and then pulling it to my chest.

I didn't say anything, I let my body do my talking for me and I stood on my tiptoes, reaching up to him. Seth wrapped his free arm around my back, resting his hand on my lower back. I closed my eyes, releasing his hand putting both my arms around his neck, and just for a single tiny moment, my lips met his. It was short, no longer than five seconds, but it felt…wonderful. I pulled back and opened my eyes to see his beautiful brown orbs looking straight through to my soul.

"Would you mind if we did that again?" I asked this time wanting to make it longer and more intense.

Seth didn't say anything, he just pulled my body up, letting my feet dangle as he pressed his warm, soft lips to mine. It progressed quickly. His tongue was soon inside my mouth, exploring and I was more than willing to be his guide. I felt him start to walk, resting me on the wall while we kissed, our heads, lips, and tongues moving in time with each other.

"H-hmm," I heard someone clear their throat. I pushed Seth away completely and let my feet find the floor.

"Are we interrupting something?" Claire giggled. "I wonder if Quil will ever kiss me like that."

"Not if he wants to keep his testicles," Seth chuckled.

Claire glared. "Shut up, Uncle Seth!"

I was still against the wall, Seth still holding me tightly. "How are you her uncle?"I asked, straightening my slightly rumpled shirt.

"Well, I'm not her uncle. I'm her cousin, really. Her Mom is my cousin," Seth explained as Claire nodded.

"And Quil, how does he fit into all this?" I asked, melting into Seth's chests as he pulled me even closer still.

"Well, let's just say he's kinda like, well, um, he's my best friend, the sexiest man that's ever lived, and he makes me laugh. He protects me, and he's just, he's so dreamy," Claire seemed to glaze over with her thoughts of Quil.

"And he's like twice your age, is he not?" I asked.

"Nah," Claire said eyeing Seth who squinted and shook his head.

"So, are you two finished or do I need to go turn down the bed for you?" Ava interjected with a little venom in her voice. I don't think she was mad necessarily that she caught Seth and me as much as she was disapproving of my "Quil Inquisition." At least, that's what I was telling myself.

"I think I should probably be on my way," Seth looked at me with some emotion in his eyes that I couldn't place. He looked sad and frustrated, happy and dismal all at the same time.

"I'll walk you out," I said, giving Ava a look to know she needed to back off. "Claire, you sleeping over?"

"Yeah, if that's cool. My parents said I could, right after I got the whole, 'Tonight's a school night' lecture," Claire said animatedly.

I laughed a little. "Okay, well in that case I'll make sure you two are in bed early."

"Kay," Claire said turning to Ava. "Um, I need to call Quil. I promised I'd tell him when we got here." She ended her thought with a giggle and it was nice to hear Ava join in as they scampered off to Ava's room.

"I should probably be going," Seth whispered into my ear, picking up my hand and kissing each knuckle. "You have perfect hands. A little worn from work, but soft and gentle in all the right places."

I could hardly breathe, my heart kept swelling. It was like everything he said made me want him that much more, made me need to be with him that much more. "Yours are pretty amazing too," I added. "More calloused, but filled with hope and mine fit in them perfectly." I worried for a minute that I might be moving a little fast but Seth didn't seem to mind as he leaned down and kissed me again. I walked him to his car and said goodbye with one last intense kiss, before he drove away, with a promise to come see tomorrow afternoon.

I was on a high. That night I couldn't sleep, Seth filled every thought, and when I did eventually fall asleep, he was in every dream. I could've sworn I felt him too, like he was nearby. It was a little scary, the intensity and passion I felt for him.

"I take it your date went well?" Nancy asked with a smile as I walked into the office the next morning. Everything seemed different now. Making breakfast for my sisters, dropping off Ashley at school, where she took her overstuffed Panda for show-and-tell, it all gave me more hope now.

"It did," I smirked. The feeling carried its way throughout the day until I headed to the diner in downtown Forks to pick up a sandwich. It was a crisp day and I decided to walk, it wasn't far and the way I was feeling, I could've skipped all the way to Canada.

It all came crashing down right before I walked into the diner. I saw Seth across the street, he was so…beautiful. He was talking to someone and leaning into the car window as head full of gorgeous bronze curls popped out attached to an equally gorgeous face. He hugged her, he fucking hugged her, tight too. My blood boiled at the look of euphoria on his face.

I stood watching the car with the gorgeous girl drove away. Seth's face was so happy and I couldn't take it anymore.

"Seth Clearwater!" I yelled across the street. It seemed like his face lit up a little more. He was either happy to see me or scared shitless.

"Abby!" he yelled back.

I didn't even look to see if traffic was coming, I was that livid. I walked across the street to where Seth was and gave him a hard shove, causing him to take a small step back.

"You lying bastard!" I screamed at him, holding my wrist. Who knew he was a brick wall?

Seth's face filled with confusion. "What?!"

"You had me so fooled! I thought…I thought you actually like me. You said there was no one else, just me, and you lied!" I had to watch myself now, I could feel my tears. I turned around.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," Seth said, grabbing my arm.

I turned quickly to shove him again. "You and that tramp in that car!"

"What? Nessie?" he chuckled. "You think, me and Nessie?" Seth was actually laughing.

"I thought you understood me, I thought…" I trailed off as the tears started to fall.

"Abigail, I didn't—"he started but I interrupted him, shaking his hand from my arm.

"Just forget it," I said back to him.

"Just wait, Abigail. Give me a minute to explain," he started again.

"No, forget it. Forget me, forget it all," I cried. The next thing I knew, I was being lifted from the ground and thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Put me down!" I screamed, trying to hit him but he was a wall of muscle and the only thing I managed to do was hurt my fist.

"I'm not putting you down. Not until you listen to me," he said calmly putting me in the passenger seat of his car. I started to open the door and slide out but he was already in the driver's seat, the car turned on and in reverse.

"How the hell did you get in here so fast?!" I yelped.

"I'm proving to you that I'm not a lying bastard," he said, starting to scare me a little. He started to talk, and I shoved my fingers in my ear.

"La la la! I can't hear you!" I screamed and I swear I heard him growl. Seth pushed the accelerator, driving fast, passing the "La Push Reservation" sign.

He pealed the Land Rover into a driveway belonging to a beautiful mansion. I felt myself calm watching Seth rub the back of his neck and I started to wonder if he was telling the truth. "Will you just listen, please?"

"No!" I screamed at him again. "I should've listened to your receptionist! You're a player!"

Seth stopped the car at the end of the driveway and reached across the seat to grab me again. He cringed as I yelled again and pushed against him. He wasn't being forceful, he was trying to be as gentle as he could and that made me feel worse. "Please stop fighting," Seth held me securely against him as he opened the door to the house. "Ness!" Seth hollered.

"Geez, Seth, what…" a sweet ringing voice started. "What the hell, Seth?!"

He put me on the couch and I squirmed to see the bronze haired goddess in front of me, her hand placed on a round belly. I turned to Seth. "She's pregnant?! You're cheating on her with me?! And she's pregnant?!"

"Wait, I think there might be some misunderstanding, Abigail," the beauty said moving towards me. "I'm Renesmee Black."

"And did you know that he was two timing you?" I asked glaring at Seth and jumping off the couch.

"You thought that Seth and I were...you think this is his baby?" Renesmee giggled.

"Is there something I need to be worried about?" A big native man asked coming into the room.

"I think Abigail's confused," Renesmee said walking up to wrap her arms around the newcomer.

"Good, because I'd hate to have to kick Seth's ass," the man leaned down and kissed the pregnant angel. In just the time I'd been there, the whole maybe three minutes that I'd seen those two together, I could tell they held some sort of special connection. Their eyes met and it was almost like no one else existed.

"Can…can someone explain what's going on?" I asked, pulling farther away from Seth but he pulled me back.

"Sorry, I'm Jacob Black. This is my wife, Nessie," the native man put his hand out for me to shake and I took it. "And you're Abigail O'Brien. We've hear a lot about you from Seth. I do believe he's smitten. I've never seen his brown cheeks turn quite as pink as they do when he says your name." Jake playfully pushed Seth.

"They do not!" Seth retorted with a chuckle. He turned to me and put his hand out. "I told you I wasn't lying, Abby. I really, really like you." He put his hand out farther. "Only you, Bee."

My heart melted and I took his hand. "So I'm Bee now?" I smiled. Seth pulled me into his side and kissed my lips.

"Yep, it's short for Abby and baby," he grinned and kissed me again, pulling away to rub his nose against mine to us being interrupted by another clearing of the throat. "Sorry," Seth smirked and I blushed a bit.

"Well, now that we have that settled, would you two like to stay for dinner? I'm making ravioli," Renesmee said.

I shook my head. "I couldn't impose. Besides, I have to get Ashley from school. Ava's working late at the bakery."

"Claire could get her," Seth spat at as I laughed.

"Claire? Horny Claire and the big native dude?" I kept laughing.

"Horny Claire, really?" Jake chuckled.

"Yeah, Claire's not quite the innocent little girl she used to be," Seth said. "I think Quil's having a little difficulty dealing with all the hormones." He squeezed my hand and leaned down to kiss my forehead. "Please?" he gave me puppy-dog eyes.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Okay," I answered.

We made plans for Claire to pick Ashley up from school and take her home while we had dinner with the Blacks. They were two of the nicest people I'd met since moving to Washington and their interaction with each other was, beyond explanation, really. They were never not touching. And the way they looked at one another was almost magical, everytime was like the first time they were seeing one another. And dinner was delicious, perfectly delicious, with wine and salad and ravioli that tasted like it had been made at the finest Italian restaurant. Seth held my hand and kissed me periodically throughout the feast. Before I knew it, we were driving back to my house.

"We have to go to get my car," I told Seth as he pulled into my driveway.

"Tomorrow. I'll come pick you up for work. We can take Ashley to school and then I'll take you to the office," Seth put the car in park and then pulled me across the seat to him, setting me in his lap.

"You don't mind?" I whispered, kissing him, with more force.

"No," he said in between kisses. "Now, we have to go in and get the horny teenager and big native dude out of the house."

I giggled and put my forehead to his, rubbing our noses like before. "You're right. I don't get it, you know? She's a kid, and he's…old. How old is he anyway?"

Seth looked away. "Not sure. We should probably get you inside." He gave me one last kiss, and opened the door, holding me bridal style and setting me on the ground. I would've grumbled at the loss of contact, but Seth quickly closed the space, holding my hand as we walked in.

Claire was sitting on the couch, the big native dude on the opposite side. She had her arms crossed but her outfit made me gasp. A bare midriff, miniskirt, and the highest high-heel shoes I'd seen. To make matters worse, her makeup was thick and she wore the brightest red lipstick. And I knew exactly who it was for, who she was trying to seduce. I sat my purse down and turned to the couch.

"Thank you for watching Ashley, Claire," I said, pulling out a twenty dollar bill and putting it in her hand.

"You don't have to pay me, Abbs. It's cool," Claire said trying to give it back.

I'm not going to lie, part of my reason for giving it to her was because I was about to do something that wasn't going to make her happy. "Keep it, sweets. Put it towards your car fund. So you don't have to rely on _him_ for a ride."

Claire's face fell as I turned to Quil. "I like to ride with Quil," she said.

I glared at Quil. "Claire, will you go check on Ashley for me?"

"Um, okay," she answered sauntering off up the stairs nearly breaking her ankles in the ridiculous shoes. I turned to Quil. "May I ask what the hell you are doing with a teenage girl, old man?"

"What?" Quil's brow furrowed.

"She's a kid, and she's trying to seduce you! I read _Lolita_ in college, I know how this goes," I got closer into his face as Seth suppressed a laugh.

"I don't see her like that," Quil said. "I'm just her friend!" He threw up his hands in protest. "I know she's a teenage girl, I promise you I have no intention of being anything but her friend for a long time."

"You better keep that promise!" I growled in his face, Seth again holding back a laugh.

"She's fast asleep," Claire reached the bottom of the stairs. "Everything okay?" Her eyes went straight to Quil.

"Everything's fine," Quil answered her with a smile. "I'm gonna take Claire home. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Seth."

Quil walked out the door, Claire close behind him. Seth wrapped his arms around me from behind. "He's not gonna hurt her. He's been her friend since she was two," Seth whispered in my ear.

"Two?" I turned in his arms.

"He's like her big brother, best friend," he leaned down and placed a soft peck on my lips. "I wanted to ask you, are you taking Ashley trick-or-treating on Halloween?"

"Uh-huh," I smiled. "She's being a bunch of grapes. I have to attach all these purple balloons to her."

"Ha ha. That's cute," Seth chuckled. "Would you, do you wanna go out to La Push with me and take her trick-or-treating?"

I couldn't help but smile bigger in his arms and I hugged him close. "Yes, that would be nice."

"Awesome!" He gripped me tighter.

I wanted him to hold me like that forever, close to him, with so much promise in his eyes. For now, I'd have to settle for this hug, and the promise that Halloween held.

**I hate begging, but please, please review! I need to know if this is interesting or if it's a lost cause. **


	8. Boyfriend?

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, as well as their aunts and cousins are my babies.**

**A special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at **liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com/

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 13 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. I promise, if you do, you'll get to know what Nessie was saying when she was fighting with Jake.**

**I have to apologize again. This chapter is another extremely long but necessary chapter.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: BOYFRIEND?**

**SETH'S POV**

There was a certain swagger to my steps today, a confidence I'd been lacking for so long, and never really realized. It was a Halloween, and I was spending tonight, like I had last night, with my Abigail. My precious Bee. Sure, it would technically only be our second date, but who needs technicalities when the world is such an uncertain place, and I knew more than anything that Abby was it for me.

"Can I get a lemon one to go?" I asked Tess as she stood behind the counter.

"Of course," Tess grinned, turning to the counter behind her and putting a lemon turnover in a small box, then handing it to me. "How is my niece anyway? You seem to see Abigail more than I do now days."

I smirked at that. Hell, I took pride in that! "Uh, she's good," I said back to her.

"You're taking her and Ash trick-or-treating tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am," I answered, handing her a five dollar bill and waving off the change as she dumped it in the tip jar.

"Will you stop by my place? I told my sister Shannon I'd take some pictures for her, of Ashley, all dressed up," Tess said.

I nodded to her. "Sure sure."

Tess cleared her throat as the bell on the door rang. "Chief Swan."

"Mornin' Tess," Charlie said coming up to meet us. "Seth," he said, shaking my hand.

This was the true reason I was in Tres Tess at this moment, a meeting with Charlie Swan. I had known Charlie almost all my life, but today, I was more scared to see him than I had ever been, including that time Embry, Quil, Jake, and I stole that fake Spartan helmet outside Forks High School and got caught.

"Hey, Charlie," I answered back. "You wanted to talk?" I knew what we were going to talk about and I knew it had been a long time coming. Mom and Charlie had been dating for years, way past a decade, since not long after Dad died. At first, it had been a sore subject. Leah and I worried at first that maybe Mom was getting over Dad a little too quickly. But we saw in them what I see in Abby and me now, the ability to heal one another. Apart from Billy Black, Charlie had been Dad's best friend. No one knew him better and no one would preserve his memory more honorably than Charlie.

"Um, yeah, we should probably sit down," Charlie swallowed hard and pointed to the café tables.

"Okay," I eyed Charlie and I could hear his heartbeat going a million miles a minute. "Calm down, Charlie."

"How'd you…" Charlie trailed off. "I know, need to know." Tess brought Charlie a cup of coffee and a turnover, and I watched carefully as his hand shook slightly as he took the cup.

"Everything alright?" I asked to which Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, um, the reason I wanted to meet, I had something to ask you. It's about your Mom and me," Charlie cleared his throat and I sat up straighter. "I hear you're dating that O'Brien girl."

"Charlie, don't change the subject. Just ask whatever it is you have to ask," I said, now slightly worrying what it was he might be hesitating to ask.

Charlie got serious again, pulling out a small velvet box and pushing it over to me. I knew what it was, and now I was the one to hesitate. "Your Mom and I have been together for a long time, Seth. You know I love her probably more than I love any woman other than Bells and Nessie. And, I, I've waited, I wanted you kids to be grown and out on your own before I took stuff to the next level," Charlie coughed. "I want to ask your Mom to marry me, but since you're the head of the Clearwater family, I wanted to ask you first. So, um, would it be okay, would you mind if I asked for your Mom's hand in marriage?"

I drummed my fingers on the table, pulling back the lid on the velvet box. It was a beautiful ring, the rays of sunlight sparkled and danced on it like it would on a Cullen. What Charlie said was true, he and Mom had been together for awhile, they didn't live together and I'd only seen them kiss a total of five times. I wasn't worried about Charlie thinking he was going to replace my own father, he knew he'd never be able to do that. But the thing that solidified my decision was picture hanging on the wall in the bakery. It was Tess, Ava, Abby and a few other girls standing next to an enormous wedding cake. In that moment, the look in Abby's eyes, knowing how much I already loved her, how could I deny a man who had loved my Mom and been patient with us kids for years, the chance to have the kind of happiness I hoped Abby and I could have one day? "Yes," I answered. "You have my permission," Charlie's face lit up. "But…" Charlie looked nervous again as I continued. "She's the only Mom I have, so please, Charlie, please be good to her."

"Thank you, Seth! You know I will, I love her so much," Charlie took the ring back and shook my hand.

There was one other thing I needed to tell Charlie, first. He seemed to be breathing steadier and his heart had slowed from the racing pace of earlier. "There is just one last thing," I said with a chuckle. "You get to tell Leah."

Charlie's eyes widened as he choked on his coffee. "I. Have. To. Tell. Leah?" He paused between each word as I nodded.

"Yep, Lord knows I'm not telling her. Somehow, I think she'll have a little more to say than me, but she'll want to put Mom first, so it won't be that bad," I told him, finishing my last drop of coffee.

"More coffee, Dr. Clearwater?" Tess asked, standing next to me with a coffee pot in her hands. "Chief Swan?" Charlie smiled and she topped off his cup.

"No thank you," I smiled to her. "Can I get a coffee to take to Abby?"

Tess's face was bright as she nodded. Charlie picked up his trash and paid his bill while Tess got the coffee for me. "Have fun tonight," he said to me.

"Thanks, I will. Do you know when you'll be asking?"

"Tonight. I'm making Bella's Famous Lasagna, or better yet, Bella's making it and bringing it over for me. She's kinda setting it all up. Her and Alice," he said, Tess handing me Abby's stuff. She smiled brightly at me and gave me a short hug. I was beginning to notice this about Abby, her sisters, her aunt…they were huggers. They hugged, a lot, especially when it was something that needed an extra emphasis.

Tess leaned into me and whispered. "Thanks for making her smile again. But you hurt her, and…"

"I won't, Tess, I promise," I said to her as Charlie pretended not to listen, whistling like he did occasionally. We said our goodbyes and I headed to Abby's. Nancy greeting me when I came in and pointed me to Abby's office, as if I needed her to tell me where to go. Even if I couldn't smell her down the block, I could sense her, my heart pulling me to her and my body craving any kind of interaction with my imprint.

I tiptoed into her office, Abby's eyes looking up from her desk and her whole demeanor changing as I walked closer, shutting the office door as I made my way to her. "Hi," Abby said softly. I walked to the side of her desk, leaning down and giving her a kiss. It wasn't short or long, hard or soft, it was loving, the best I knew how to do this, this type of kissing and my heart fluttered as I felt Abby's heart speed up a little. I loved that sound, the sound of life, and the fact that I could do that her.

I pulled away, running my hand along her cheek. "You're beautiful, Bee. More than that, your heart is…beautiful," I leaned forward, my lips touching hers softly while she inched her hand up the back of my neck and held tightly to my hair. Usually, I was the one that intensified our kisses, but this time, it was all Abby and I felt her tongue swipe my bottom lip before I opened my mouth and let her have her way. She pulled me closer, until I was on my knees and she turned her chair to the side. Before I knew what I was doing, I pushed her legs apart and pulled her closer, so I was leaning in right between her legs. "Mmmm…" I moaned and instantly felt Abby tense and then release me altogether.

"Sorry, we have to…we need to stop," she panted, looking away.

"Okay," I nodded but could see that she wasn't happy, something had happened. "Did I do something wrong?"

Abby shook her head. "No, I just…"

"Dr. O'Brien, Mr. Ateara's here," Nancy burst through the door. "Oh, sorry, I...Mr. Ateara brought his dog in. I'll just, I'll leave now." She blushed and walked out the door.

"Damn, Quil," I mumbled, looking up at a very embarrassed Abby. "Abigail," I whispered to her, making her look in my eyes. "What's wrong, Bee?"

She took a deep breath and sighed. "I'll tell you about it later, now's not really the best time to discuss this," Abby said, giving me a small smile. "You want to come help me with Eros?" She slid her hand into mine and stood up as I leaned against the desk, picked myself up, and followed her out.

"Do you remember all of the names of the animals you treat?" I asked her as we approached Quil.

"I try," Abby said, squeezing my hand with a bigger smile. _God, how I love this woman_.

Quil stood with Eros on his leash. "It's about damn time, Clearwater," Quil said, faking an attitude.

"It was my fault," Abby instantly piped up to defend me as Quil and I both chuckled.

"Already sticking up for your boyfriend?" Quil playfully punched at me. Then it hit me, a word he'd used, _boyfriend_. Was I technically Abby's boyfriend? I mean, we are in the making out stage of the relationship, and even though we hadn't known each other long, I knew that I never wanted anyone else, but how could I know if she felt that way?

I watched as Abby leaned down and petted Eros. "You can wait if you want, Mr. Ateara," she said to him.

"Seriously, Mr. Ateara is my grandfather. I'm Quil, you know me well enough to call me that. Just like I call you Abby and him Dr. Love," Quil said pointing to me with a laugh. "You'd know about Dr. Love, right, Abbs?" Abby giggled a little and then walked off with Eros. "She didn't correct me," Quil said. "When I called you her boyfriend, she didn't correct me."

"I know. I've been thinking about that. I mean, I consider her my girlfriend, I'm just not sure what the proper protocol is in ascertaining if a woman thinks of and introduces you as her boyfriend," I said as Quil chuckled.

"You know you're gonna have to tell her soon. About the imprint and our secret. Claire says she's really understanding," Quil patted me on the back. That was something I didn't want to think about right now. Right now, I wanted to think about taking her and Ashley trick-or-treating, I didn't need the other things to complicate that right now.

I spent the rest of the day thinking about Abby, the boyfriend comment, the fact I was taking my imprint out to La Push and wondering what she'd think of life on the rez. I would soon find out, I thought as I rang the door bell at Abby's house, ready to spend what I hoped would be our first of many holidays together.

**ABBY'S POV**

"I'll get it!" Ashley yelled, running to the front door as Sadie barked. I chased after Ashley, pinning on the last purple balloon to her purple unitard. "Dr. Seth! I'm a bunch of grapes! See!" She yelled to Seth as she flung the door open and spun around in a circle, showing off her costume.

Seth grinned and chuckled. "You look good enough to eat," he grabbed her and started to tickle her before looking up at me and letting her go.

"Go get your shoes your candy bucket," I told Ashley, handing her the small green hat we'd made for her head. She ran off and Seth pulled me into his arms.

"Happy Halloween," he whispered into my ear, kissing my neck.

"Happy Halloween," I said, pulling back to give him a swift peck on the lips. In the back of my mind, I wondered if this was how it was supposed to work, if it was supposed to be so easy to fall in love with someone, to know that that person was the only one you'd ever love, in only a few weeks time. It was easy to love Seth, though. With him, I felt he was my other half. He got along with my sisters, including Ava, who had been spending less time hanging out with the riff-raff of Forks, and more time with Claire and a couple of Claire's friends from the reservation. Hell, I didn't even mind Quil that much now, now that I knew he wasn't interested in some "reverse-Mrs. Robinson relationship" with Claire. In fact, I didn't mind it so much, I was letting Ava stay with Claire tonight, Quil promising he'd make sure they were in bed early and not be late for school the next day. And I looked forward to spending more time with the Blacks. But it was something that Quil said today that had been bothering me. Whether he meant to or not, Quil called Seth my boyfriend. Of course, I didn't correct him, there were a lot of things I wanted to call Seth: friend, lover, husband, father of my children, co-occupier of rocking chairs on the front porch while we wait for our grandchildren. But I wasn't sure exactly how you would define our relationship at its present state.

Ashley ran down the stairs, candy bucket in hand. "Time to get some candy!" She yelled, grabbing Seth's hand. "I hope they have good candy on the reservation? Do they? I heard I'm getting to meet your friends tonight!"

I smiled, grabbing my purse and locking the door to follow them out. Seth helped Ashley into his car, careful not to pop any of her balloons and yet strap her in with a seat belt. "You okay, Bee?" Seth asked me after he shut her door.

"I'm okay. I'd be better if you kissed me though," I smirked, Seth's expression changing to match mine as he pushed me towards my door and leaned in.

"This better?" He crashed his lips to mine as I heard Ashley gagging in the backseat of the car.

"Stop it! That's gross!" she yelled.

"Thank you," I said as he pulled away.

"Promise me you'll talk to me, about whatever this is. You're scaring me, Abby," he held my hand secure in his as he helped me in the car. There was something else that was bothering me, something I didn't bring up now and hadn't necessarily given much thought to before getting caught in our make-out session at the office. If things progressed like they were at the present time, the little three-letter word I'd been avoiding would come up soon and I wasn't sure how that worked. The three letter word being of course, sex. Do I tell him I've never done it before? Could I do it with him? See, the last part was easier for me to answer. If the time arose, and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt that he felt a quarter of what I felt, I would. I would give him everything.

Seth's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "First, we're making a special stop at your Aunt Tess's and then on to the Blacks'," he smiled and that helped to ease my mind, knowing I'd see Nessie again.

Seth pulled into Aunt Tess's driveway and Ashley hopped out, running to the door and ringing the bell. "Trick-or-treat, Uncle Rob!" she said to our uncle as he opened the door.

"Why looky here, a whole bunch of grapes on my doorstep! Tess, have you ever seen such adorable grapes?" Uncle Rob chuckled, Tess joining him.

"Nope, I don't reckon I have," Aunt Tess tended to let her accent slip more nowadays and I knew us being here was helping to ease her Oklahoma withdraws. She took a few pictures of Ashley then one of Seth and I, my head on his chest as he kissed my forehead, then another of Ashley, Seth and me. "Aunt Shannon will love to see these! I bet she'll show 'em to everyone, Chloe and Vanessa, Uncle Joe. I'm gonna e-mail them to your cousin Noah in Seattle right now." Aunt Tess disappeared as Uncle Rob pulled Seth to the side. I helped Ashley into the car, again trying to belt her in without popping any grapes.

Seth came back around with a grin on his face. I hopped in the car, Seth getting in on his side. "Your family really loves you," he said to me.

_Oh no! What the hell did Uncle Rob say?_ "What'd he say?" I asked.

"Just that he's noticed things are progressing quickly with us and that he knows you really like me and if I break your heart, he'll break my legs, your Uncle Joe will break my arms, and your cousin Chloe's husband will cut off my you-know-what," he said very calmly.

"I'm sorry," I said, not being able to look at him.

"Don't be. It's sweet, they love you, Bee," he leaned over to kiss my cheek.

"Enough with the kissing, geez! You know that's where babies come from don't you!" Ashley said, shaking her head as Seth pulled into the Blacks' driveway.

"Seth!" an older voice yelled out while Seth helped me and Ashley out of the car. I turned to see an older gentleman in a wheelchair sitting on the porch with Chief Swan.

"Hey Billy," Seth answered with a grin, taking my hand as Ashley hid behind me a little.

"Nice you see you, Abby," Chief Swan waved, Ashley hiding behind me a little more.

"Good to see you too, Chief Swan," I said.

"You can call me Charlie, you too Ashley," Charlie said.

"Hi, Mr. Chief Swan," Ashley said shyly, hiding still.

"Ashley, I'd like you to meet one of my very best friends," he said, waving for Ashley to come over to him. She wasn't normally a shy person but occasionally, when there were large groups of people she didn't know, she would get anxious and I could feel that from her. Ashley walked over to Charlie. "This here is Billy Black, and this is his son, Jacob's house."

"Hello, Miss O'Brien," the man in the wheelchair said, taking Ashley's hand and kissing it as she giggled.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Black," Ashley smiled and the shyness was gone.

"Billy, this is my Abigail," Seth said introducing me to Billy. _My Abigail._

"Nice to meet you, Abigail. I've heard a lot about you from Seth. He seems to like you a lot and he's a pretty good judge of character," Billy said as he shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Black, and Seth's a pretty great guy, if I do say so," I blushed. Seth pulled me to his side, kissing my forehead.

"They do that a lot, the kissing," Ashley let out a disapproving sigh to Billy and Charlie.

Nessie walked out the door, a huge smile on her face. "I thought I heard you guys! Come in, come in!"

Seth kept me close as we followed Nessie into the house. She was quite the decorator, the house done up with jack-o-lanterns and twinkling lights. Jake was standing talking to someone I didn't recognize and gave us a wave as he excused himself and headed towards us. "Nice to you see you again, Abby," Jake smirked, jabbing at Seth a little.

"Same to you, Jake. Your wife outdid herself," I said, looking around at how beautifully perfect every detail of the house was. Ness walked towards us with a package in her hand, passing it off to Ashley.

"It's your candy," Nessie smiled, as Ashley looked closer at the candy jack-o-lantern.

"It's so pretty," she stood in awe looking at the delicate confection in her hands. "It's like a jack-o-lantern but it's so…" she trailed off and looked at a beaming Nessie. "Thank you!" She flung her arms around Nessie as two of her balloons popped on Nessie's belly. Ashley pulled away quickly. "Sorry little baby," her eyes went from Nessie to her belly and then back to Nessie.

Ness giggled. "Did he kick you?"

Ashley nodded. "Can I…can I touch it?" Ness took Ashley's hand and put it over her stomach, moving it and then holding her tiny hand in one spot. Ashley grinned. "I think he likes my costume!"

"It's a pretty kickass costume," Jake said as he pulled his wife to his side.

"Whoa, you're a giant!" Ashley's eyes widened as she took in Jake's large frame as Jake chuckled. "You're even bigger than Dr. Seth and Mr. Studmuffin and they're huge!"

I threw my hand over Ashley's mouth. "Ashley Olivia O'Brien, where are you manners?" I looked at Jake apologetically. "I'm sorry, sometimes she forgets to turn her censor on."

Jake laughed. "Trust me, I've been called things worse than giant before." He turned to Ashley. "So who's this Mr. Studmuffin?"

Ashley giggled at him playfully. "Quil, that's what Claire calls him."

Everyone stopped for a minute, taking in what she said. Then, like a movie, every single person in the room let out a loud laugh. "Poor Quil," Jake shook his head and then said something to Seth in a language I didn't understand. Seth laughed as I stood completely intrigued.

I fixed the two balloons that had popped on Ashley's costume as we said our goodbyes, then got into Seth's car. He took my hand and the electricity flowed between us, warming my cold hand almost instantly. He pulled into the driveway of a large cabin, a beautiful modern cabin and put the car in park.

"Where are we?" I asked, looking up as he took my hand to help me out.

"Casa de Clearwater," he smirked. "This is my house."

My eyes immediately got big. "This…this is your house?" This house was amazing and so Seth. It was perfect for him. He flipped a switch and the garage door opened.

"Yeah, and it looks like I have a visitor."

"This house is gigantic! It's like bigger than that house from that movie, you know, that movie?" Ashley looked up. I had no clue what she was talking about, what movie or what house. "It's…" she turned and looked at Seth. "When you and Abby get married, can we come live here, because this house is so much more awesome than ours?"

"Ashley!" I scolded and looked at Seth.

"Most definitely," he said slyly as my eyes got even bigger. I didn't even know if I was his girlfriend and now he's talking marriage? "Come on and I'll show you around."

We walked up the stairs in the garage, arriving in the kitchen. "Oh, Seth! I wanted to be gone before you got here! I dropped off a nice chicken-mushroom casserole for you," Mrs. Clearwater said.

"You look just like Dr. Seth," Ashley said to Mrs. Clearwater.

"And you must be Ashley. My name's Sue," Sue Clearwater stood before her. "That's a great costume." Her eyes moved to Seth and my heart melted.

"Hi Mom," Seth waved to his mother, who showed so much love and compassion in those eyes. And then I felt the familiar tinge of pain in my heart. Those were the eyes of a mother, those were eyes I'd never see again from my own mother. Seth noticed the change in my demeanor and he pulled me close.

I suddenly realized I was the one without manners now. "Hello Mrs. Clearwater," I said.

"Hello, Abigail," Sue smiled. "It's so good to see you again. I've told Seth he needs to bring you around more, but he said he likes to keep you to himself. And you know you can call me Sue, none of these formalities." Sue was beautiful, even as an older woman and I started to wonder why in the hell Seth was with me when he lived on a reservation full of beautiful, tanned, toned goddesses. "Why don't you show Abigail around and I'll chat with Ashley?"

Seth nodded and showed me around the house, the living room, the den, his office, the view from the patio. "And this, um, this is my bedroom," he flipped the light on to reveal a large bed with a flatscreen TV attached to the foot of it. I felt a shiver run up my spine, looking at his bed, wondering about a million things about that bed. Is it comfortable? Has he ever, you know, done it in it? Would I ever sleep in it? "Yeah, so, um, we should probably go before Ashley has a coronary."

I nodded without saying anything and followed Seth. We said goodbye to Sue and joined a parade of children walking the neighborhood. We watched as Ashley went to various different homes, a huge smile on her face as she looked at her loot. Seth's gripped changed from my hand to my waist and he kissed my forehead. I looked up at him, my curiosity getting the better of me. "When we were at the Blacks' and Jake said something to you in a different language," it came out more like a statement than a question.

"Yes, in Quileute. He just said we were lucky," Seth grinned down at me and I wrapped my arms around his warm chest. His hand rubbed my back gently and I felt so content and loved.

Before I knew it, my thoughts had occupied our time as we completed our route, making it back to Seth's car. Ashley was giddy, looking through her candy bucket and I had to remind her more than once that she couldn't eat all of it tonight and popping all of the balloons left on her costume. Seth drove us home, Ashley fast asleep in the backseat before we even made past the reservation line. "You remember there's a bonfire Saturday, right?" Seth asked as he carried Ashley to her room.

"Yes. Am I supposed to bring anything?" I asked Seth, as he laid Ashley down.

"Only a blanket or two. It gets kind of chilly and I won't be able to keep Ava and Ashley warm since my arms will be around you," he smirked, shutting Ashley's door, and kissing me hard. It didn't take much for me to give in and I felt the kiss get a little rougher, my back against the wall as Seth's kisses moved down to my neck. I closed my eyes, praying no one would interrupt us again.

I was enjoying this feeling, up until Seth's hand closed around my breast and I let out an involuntary moan. Then the three letter word popped into my head like neon lights in Vegas. SEX. "Wait, stop," I said pushing at Seth.

Seth didn't complain or groan or anything, he just put his forehead to mine, looking into my eyes. "Do you know how special you are to me? How much you mean to me? There's not enough roses or chocolates in the world to adequately show you how much I need you. And I know, that you're scared, I know that you still have your doubts but just know that I'll never stop feeling like I do about you."

My body was screaming at me to jump him and have at it for a few days, holed up in my bedroom. But my head won this time. "Thank you," I pecked his lips. "I…I would be so lost without you. There's things though that I'm not quite, I can't…"

"It's okay, Abby. When you're ready to tell me, I'll be here, I'll always be here to listen. I'll see you tomorrow," Seth kissed my forehead and then made his way downstairs and out the door.

So now, now that I'd met all these people and I knew that Seth seemed to want me half as much as I wanted him, I could legitimately think about the things that were bothering me. First, what were we? Were we boyfriend and girlfriend? Could I ask him that or would he laugh at me? Secondly, there was the issue of sex, and my general lack of know-how in that arena. Third, why did things seem so perfect with Seth, so much like we completed each other?

They were three questions that consumed my mind over the next two days. Everytime I saw Seth my heart pulled me to him and as much as I knew it was right, it scared me too. We would spend most every evening together, he cooked dinner one of the nights for my sisters and I, and I learned he made the best salmon I'd ever tasted.

Saturday came quickly and we were on our way back to La Push, Ashley in the backseat, Ava riding with Quil and Claire, to attend our first La Push bonfire. I was amazed at how accepting everyone had been of us thus far. They didn't look at us as poor, pitiful orphans with no family. We were just people, people that mattered to them, something that seemed so unique and special.

"Jake, it's not going to kill me to walk ten feet to hug Abby," Nessie groaned at her protective husband, swatting his hands away and giving me a hug. It would be fair to say, in the short time I'd been in Washington, other than Seth, Nessie was my best friend. I never felt more welcome and accepted than when I was with her and Seth. "I'm glad you're here," she said, turning to Seth. "Go introduce her to everyone and make her feel welcome." I hid a laugh at how much like a mother she sounded.

"Yes, ma'am," Seth grinned, taking me around to meet each of the couples that I didn't know. I met Jake's sister, Rachel, and her husband, Paul, then an OB/GYN named Kim and her husband, Jared. They had a little boy, a cute, precious little one. Seth introduced me to his cousin, Emily, and her husband, Sam, Emily's beauty and heart showing past the scars she bore from a bear attack. I met Tokala, Embry, and AJ before seeing Ava with a couple of other teenagers.

"Yo, I'm Lil' G, what's yo name, beautiful?" one of the boys said to me as I walked up to the group of teenagers.

"Lil' G? Really?" I cocked an eyebrow, the men behind me all cracking up. I shrugged, pretty sure there was no way they'd heard me.

"Yeah, it's my rapper name, ya know?" Lil' G asked.

"Yeah, well, good luck with that," I smirked, hearing the laughter from behind me again as Lil' G walked off.

"Can't get no respect," he mumbled. "Hey, that might be a good rap…"

I shook my head as Ava looked at me. "Abby."

"Ava," I nodded to her, taking in the younger people around her. She seemed attached at the hip to one of the boys, not much in a sexual way, as a companion, friend sorta way.

"I'm Scar," the boy said, putting his hand out for me to shake. At least he wasn't completely rude and insulting like Lil' P or Big J or whatever the hell that boy's name was.

"Nice to meet you, Scar," I shook his hand with a smile. "Ava, you know your curfew?"

"Yes, Abbs, you don't have to worry," she smiled. It was reminiscent of pre-Ava, pre-death of our parents, pre-sex in my bed. "Quil's taking us to Claire's and you know Quil." She rolled her eyes.

That was one thing I absolutely loved about Quil. He was a stickler for the rules. Claire's parents said she had to be home at midnight, he had her there at 11:30, just for good measure. I also know, somehow, Claire had some sort of control over Quil and I worried one day he's forget his responsibility. But right now, I trusted him.

The bonfire was quite the event. I spent it snuggled into Seth's side, watching Ashley play with the younger children as Billy Black, Sam, and Jake told the most amazing legends of the Quileute people, of loves lost and gained, of honor and tradition. I could see the pride in everyone's eyes and I felt lucky to have a boyfriend, if that's what he was, that was part of so much.

"We have one last announcement for the evening," Billy grinned and turned to Charlie who was sitting next to him.

Seth's Mom, Sue, and Charlie stood up as Charlie spoke. "A lot of you know that Sue and I have been a couple for awhile and that we love each other very much," Charlie kissed her hand sweetly, a look of confusion going over Nessie's face. "Well, the other night, I asked Sue to marry me and she said yes, so, um, we're getting married!" The crowd broke out into different emotions, all happy ones, as congratulations filled the air. All but one person, Nessie.

She was arguing with Jake, heatedly, her hands making animated motions as Jake cringed with each word. I couldn't help but watch as Nessie stormed off. Jake seemed torn, mentally trying to decide if he should go after her or stay with us. I didn't see his decision my attention diverted to something Emily said.

"You ready?" Seth whispered into my ear some time later before kissing my neck.

I turned in his arms. "Yes, let me get Ashley and tell Ava," I said as he leaned in for a kiss. I released him and watched him start to pack our blankets up. I reminded Ava of her curfew, again, and held Ashley's hand as we left. True to her usual form, Ashley fell asleep as soon as the car hit the road.

Seth asked about each couple I'd met and what I'd thought of them. We chatted as we made our way to the house. "Why was Nessie so mad?" I asked Seth.

He chuckled. "Well, Charlie is Nessie's grandfather and she's—"

I interrupted him. "Charlie is Nessie's grandfather? How's that work, he doesn't look old enough to be her grandfather?"

Seth's eyes got big. "I guess it's more of an honorary grandfather type thing. Nessie's brother, Edward, is married to Charlie's daughter, Bella."

"Okay, gotcha," I nodded. "So Nessie has family then? I was worried that she was alone."

Seth squeezed my hand. "Yeah, she and her brother were foster children, passed around different homes before finding each other and staying with the Cullens." Maybe that's why I felt so connected to Nessie, she was a bit of an orphan like me.

When we got to the house, Seth carried Ashley upstairs while I started a fire in the fireplace and turned on the TV to see _Friday the 13__th_on. Seth walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, coming back out with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "I figured we needed a little grown up time," he kissed my nose before pouring and handing me a glass.

"Thanks," I whispered, sipping it and then setting it on the coffee table while he joined me on the couch. I snuggled into his side, feeling his arm around me and his warm surround me.

It started innocently enough, a small kiss on the cheek, progressing to a kiss on the lips and then somehow along the way, I ended up on my back, Seth between my legs both of us making a symphony of strange noises. That is until his hand went from my breast down to the button on my jeans and then the zipper. I felt like a killjoy but I had to stop him, I couldn't do this, not yet, and certainly not on the couch while my little sister slept upstairs. "There's something I need to talk to you about," I stopped him mid-zipper.

He pulled back and looked at me. "Okay," he kissed my nose again.

I cleared my throat. "Um, well, you see, I've never…" _Oh, quit being a pansy and tell him already_. "I'm a virgin." I kinda sputtered out, watching his face for a reaction. "And I don't think I'm ready to do that just yet." He wasn't saying or doing anything and I felt myself start to freak out. This had been a mistake, I shouldn't have told him, I should've just stopped him and then gone about with watching the killing spree on TV. "I'm sorry, I know, that's a big part of a relationship and I don't want to waste your time."

Seth pulled even farther back, this time looking hurt. "Seriously, Abigail. You think I wouldn't want to be with you because you're a virgin?" I nodded to him sheepishly. "I could care less about sex right now. All I want is to be close to you, to spend time with you. I won't say that I haven't thought about sex because I know that it would beyond amazingly magical but I'm not in this relationship because I want to get into your pants." He was so sincere and heartfelt, his eyes never leaving mine. "You're my girlfriend for so many other reasons that sex."

I smiled widely, he'd just answered my second question for me. "I'm your girlfriend?"

"Of course, at least, I thought you were, if you wanna be."

"Yes. I'm your girlfriend and you're my boyfriend," I pulled him closer to me and kissed his lips, sounding like a lovesick teenage girl.

"Now, was that so hard?" Seth chuckled, shifting our position so I was laying on his chest. His hands ran up and down my back.

I looked at the clock. Ava would be home soon, but for the moment, I was were I belonged, where I wanted to stay forever, wrapped in Seth's arms, filled with love, anything as long as I was with him.


	9. Hunting Season

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, as well as their aunts and cousins are my babies.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Nina! You are so extremely talented and I'm happy to be a part of your story! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at ****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com/ **

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 14 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_** for more information about the Thanksgiving festivities and some interesting Leah time.**

**Happy Advent!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: HUNTING SEASON**

**ABBY'S POV**

"Are you sure you don't want to go with us? Aunt Shannon's going to miss you guys," Aunt Tess said as we helped her put the final bags in their trunk.

"No, we'll be fine. We're going over to the Blacks' house for lunch," I told her as she gave me a hug.

"You take good care of my nieces, Seth Clearwater," Aunt Tess poked at Seth's chest.

"You know I will," he answered, leaning down to kiss my forehead.

Aunt Tess and Uncle Rob were going back to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. That had been the tradition of late, Thanksgiving in Oklahoma, Christmas in Washington. Tess and Rob's son, Noah, who was a graphic designer in Seattle, and his wife Janey were meeting them in Seattle to fly out. The original plan was for my sisters and me to join them, but after being with Seth for two months and feeling comfortable enough to spend a holiday with him, I gave my sisters the option of staying or going, though I would definitely be staying. Ava was quick to say she'd be staying. She had become close friends with the La Push group, and when she found out we would be going there for Thanksgiving lunch, thoughts of Oklahoma disappeared. Ashley thought about it for awhile, until she had a conversation with Seth and decided for sure she wanted to stay.

It was an interesting conversation, one that I wasn't supposed to hear, but my eavesdropping tendencies got the better of me and I couldn't help but listen in.

"_It makes me scared to be away from Abby," Ashley said with a quivering lip after Seth and I went out on an actual date, just the two of us._

"_Why's that?" Seth asked, sitting next to her._

"_Because. I love her and she's the closest thing to a Mommy I have," Ashley's voice wavered. "But we won't have any family here. It'll just be us and that's not fun."_

"_You have me, and my family, we're your family, too, Ash," Seth watched her closely as Ashley's tears fell down her cheeks._

"_I miss having a family," she said through fat tears._

"_Anytime you're with me and Abby and Ava, we're a family," Seth said. _

I didn't listen anymore. The only thing I could do was make myself look busy in the kitchen when Seth came around. He knew I'd been listening, but he didn't say a word. He just did what he knew I needed him to do and he wrapped his arms around me, letting me cry into his chest. The next day, Nessie called to invite us to Thanksgiving lunch at their house, saying most of the families from the bonfire would be there.

"Ashley, are you sure you don't want to go?" Aunt Tess asked, looking at Ashley sitting on the front porch, putting a bright orange tutu on Sadie.

"Nope, I wanna stay here with Abby and Seth," she said, not looking up. "Plus, when I go to La Push, I get to play with all the little boys. And they're soooo cute!" Ash had taken a liking to Remy Uley and Hawk Schweig. Mostly because they did almost anything she asked and they were like her own real-life baby dolls.

"Okay, well, then, I guess we'll be off," Aunt Tess pulled me into a hug. "Call me if you need anything. I told Ava she better stay out of trouble."

I nodded. "She will. She and Claire are coming over later to make cookies," I told her releasing her from our hug.

"Love you guys," she said as she gave me one last hug and hopped in the car.

Seth wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him as we watched my only family in Forks drive away. "I'm glad you stayed," he whispered into my ear and turned me in his arms to face him. "I don't think Thanksgiving would be right without one of the things I'm most thankful for."

I smiled up at him. "I'm pretty damn thankful for you too," I gave him a slight kiss.

"There's something I need to tell you about tomorrow, though," Seth pulled away, never a good sign.

My eyes went wide. "What?"

Seth cleared his throat and held me closer. "Tomorrow, my sister's going to be at dinner."

"Why is that a bad thing?" I cuddled into him.

"It's not. It's just, um. Have you ever asked any of the other girls about Leah? Like Rachel or Nessie?" he asked as I furrowed my brow and took his hand to go inside the house. "Leah's…she's my sister and I love her but occasionally she can be very protective of me."

"Ah, I got ya. She's a big sister. I know that role well," I said. Seth had found a place at the counter, sitting on one of the stools while I pulled butter and pecans out of the refrigerator.

"She's kinda like a big sister on steroids. She takes her job very seriously," he watched me intently. "What are you doing anyway? You know that Nessie's having the whole thing catered. You don't need to bring anything."

"Yes, she does! We always have pecan pie and I don't know if Nessie knows how to get pecan pie. So Abby has to make it for me. She uses Mommy's recipeet," Ashley grinned hopping on a stool next to Seth and leaning against him. "Dr. Seth?"

"Yes, missy," Seth asked her.

"Do you think your sister will like us?" Ashley asked. It was a great question, one I'd wanted to ask myself. Seth talked about Leah a lot and I knew, depending on who you asked, she was everything from loving and loyal to bitchy and angsty. The thing I had to keep reminding myself was that she was Seth's sister, someone he loved, so even if she didn't like me, thought I prayed she would, I would grin and bear it.

"I'm sure she will," Seth smirked, somehow there was confidence missing in his voice.

"Who we talking about?" Quil asked, picking up a pecan on popping it in his mouth as Claire and Ava giggled following him in. He propped himself against the counter and folded his arms against his chest, the two teen girls, chirping in blushing giggles.

"Leah," I said, looking at Quil and seeing exactly what the girls were laughing at, Quil's jeans sagging a little to see his boxer briefs and the V that formed on his abdomen. For some reason, since I'd been with Seth, though I found other men attractive, I didn't get the same feeling I got when I looked at Seth. "Pull your pants up, Studmuffin," I whispered in his ear as he looked back at a giddy Claire.

"Leah, eh?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow and grabbing a handful of pecans.

"You're gonna eat them all!"Ashley swatted at him as he scooped her up and swung her around.

"Girls, if you want to get started on the cookies, I'm gonna get Ashley showered and in bed, then I'll finish the pie," I said, taking Ashley from Quil's grip. "Then, you'll get up in the morning, get dressed, and we'll head to the Blacks'."

"Ooh, can I watch a little bit of the parade in the morning?" Ashley said as I carried her upstairs.

"If you go straight to bed and you don't fuss in the morning," I said. I turned on the shower and got Ashley situated, sitting on the counter while she washed and sang.

"Hey, Abbs?" she sang. "Do you…do you love Dr. Seth?"

I think I stopped breathing for a minute, swallowing hard. I knew I did. Neither one of us had said it to the other but I felt it. I hurt when he wasn't near me and my mouth couldn't help but smile when he was anywhere near me. "Ashley, love between grownups is very different than other types of love," I told her. I'd honestly never told anyone outside of my family that I loved them. There were boys I cared deeply for, but none of them came close to the magical feeling I had for Seth.

"So you don't love him?" Ashley asked.

"I…" _Screw it! _"I do, sweets. But grownups can't just go around and say they love people."

"Why not?"

"Because it's more complicated. When grownups say that they love each other…" I couldn't find the right words to say what I needed to, to let her know that "love" as adults came with commitments and promises, things that weren't supposed to be easily broken, things that were binding.

"Does it mean more than when I say I love you?" she asked, turning off the water as I started to pray no one downstairs could hear us.

"No, Ashley, it just means something different," I told her as I handed her a towel. "When I say that I love you, that is something that will never, ever change. No matter what you do or say or feel, I will never stop loving you. Because you are my sister and that can't ever end."

"Like how Mommy's still my Mommy even though she's in Heaven?" Ashley asked. I stood behind her and brushed her hair after she dressed in her pajamas.

"Exactly," I told her as we walked down the hall into her bedroom, Sadie waiting for her. "I love you, Ashley Olivia O'Brien. You are the best youngest sister I could ever ask for." I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

She grabbed my arm as I started to leave. "I love you too Abby," she released me. "And I think Dr. Seth loves you too. I think…I think you were made to love each other." My youngest sister never ceased to amaze me. I thought the same thing. But it was never that easy, not in my life.

"Say your prayers and I'll wake you up in the morning for the parade," I flipped her light off and stood in her doorway for a minute before heading downstairs. Claire and Ava were in full baking mode while Quil had been in charge of putting sprinkles on various different cookies. Seth was watching and his attention turned to me as I came into the kitchen. I was feeling headstrong and confident as I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him. I leaned into his neck, just below his ear. "Will you stay here tonight?" He pulled away and gave me a confused look. "I'm not talking about sex. I just…I need you close to me." I was talking low enough that I hoped no one else heard. It was dangerous to have Seth in my bed because I might very well try to take advantage of him, but I needed to feel him next to me, I needed to feel his lips and I needed to know I was safe.

"Of course I will," he said into my ear and kept holding me, rubbing my back. I felt selfish like this, like I was taking so much and had little to give.

"I have to make a pie," I told him as he grinned.

"Maybe Quil can help you. He seems to be into this baking thing," Seth chuckled.

Sure enough, Quil was taking his sprinkle job very serious. "I got some icing on my finger, Quil. You wanna taste it?" Claire asked seductively putting her finger out for Quil. I swear the man was oblivious to her wild ways, licking her finger and then looking up and smiling at her.

"Very good," he said sincerely. See, Claire was clearly flirting with him, and he had no idea. You just had to love that big lug. I actually really liked most all of Seth's friends. The only one I'd yet to really figure out was Embry. He was a smooth talker and his dates always had breasts that could double as flotation devices. He just didn't really talk to me like the other guys did.

After the cookies were finished and the pie was done, Claire and Quil had gone home, I slid into the bed and pulled the sheets up, waiting for Seth in the bathroom. He trotted in clad only in his boxer briefs. My cheeks blushed at his gorgeous body and he turned off the light before sliding in next to me. Seth pulled me to him and I closed my eyes, hiking my leg up Seth's hip, only to be met with an unusual discovery. "Um, Seth, why are you naked?"

He chuckled. "I sleep in the buff. I get really hot at night and I find that if I'm naked, it cools me off. However, if you keep your leg on me like that, I don't think I'm going to be cool at all."

I moved my leg quickly. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I didn't say I didn't like it," his voice was husky and thick and I couldn't help but kiss the closest part of him to me, in this case, his shoulder. He rolled closer to me, pinning me a little as he trailed kisses down my neck. My cotton night gown started to ride up. He kept kissing, his hands on my outer thigh. He settled between my legs and I could _feel_ him and while I knew better, I wrapped my legs around his hips bringing him closer until I felt a tingling sensation between my legs.

"Ohhh," I quietly moaned.

"Ugh," he grunted pulling himself up a little and kissing my lips feverishly. "We have to stop, Bee. I don't want it to be like this, our first time."

"I know," I sighed. "I'm sorry, I got carried away." Seth rolled onto his back and then pulled me to his side.

"It's not that I don't want to, babe, I just want our first time together to be special and not just a rushed thing," he ran his hand through my hair and kissed my nose. "We don't get more than one first time together." He kept his hand in my hair and his mouth on my nose or forehead or lips until I felt my breathing slow and my eyes close.

"Abby," I heard a voice whisper until I rolled over and opened my eyes. Ava stood before me in a beautiful dark green sweater dress with black boots. "Sorry, sis, but Ash is gonna be up soon and I didn't think you'd want her to see you and Seth in bed together."

I panicked for a minute, remembering that Seth was naked next to me. I turned to glance at Seth as he snored away, his arm over his eyes, and the sheets pulled up to shield _him _from two fascinated eyes but his bare leg and a side of his hip was exposed. "Thank you, Ave," I said breathing a sigh of relief, pulling back the covers carefully and putting my feet on the floor. I had sworn I'd just fallen asleep and already it was time to get up. I followed Ava into the kitchen where she poured me coffee and smirked. "What?"

"Did you guys, you know, do it last night?" she giggled.

"No, we didn't 'do it' last night. He just slept over," I sighed drinking my coffee.

"Well then how come he was naked?" she asked, one hand on her hip.

I cleared my throat. "He sleeps naked, nosey."

"Uh-huh. Walk over to the refrigerator and grab the milk," she said and I did as she asked. "I guess you're telling the truth. I thought maybe you'd finally lost _it_."

"What?"

"You're not walking funny and trust me, if you had sex with one of the La Push boys, you'd be walking funny," she chuckled sipping away.

"How would you know?" I asked.

"I've just heard things. I don't know from personal experience. I'm off sex, until I find someone more worth doing it with," she grinned.

Seth come down the stairs completely dressed and wearing a wide smile.

"Morning," he said, kissing my cheek. "I'm going to head out so I can get ready."

"Okay," I kissed his lips. "I'll see you in about two hours."

"I'll miss you," he answered.

"It's just two hours."

"You don't know what two hours away from you does to me," he said and I kissed him again and sent him on his way just in time for Ashley to come down the stairs.

"The next time Dr. Seth is here for a sleepover, he can sleep on my floor," Ashley said seriously. "I don't want you to get crowded in your bed."

Ava and I looked at each other before bursting into a loud giggle. I kissed both of my sisters' foreheads and went off to get ready, showered and dressed in less than an hour. We packed up our stuff and headed to La Push. I was meeting Seth at the Blacks', one of the first times since we'd been going to La Push that we weren't going to get there at the same time. I pulled into the driveway, immediately searching for his car.

"I don't think he's here yet, Abby. Scar and Lil' G are here," Ava smiled brightly.

"Please tell me you don't have a thing for Master P," I rolled my eyes.

"Lil' G, and no, I don't. Scar's great though. I don't think about him like that though. He just, I guess, listens to me," she said before getting out of the car.

"I listen to you," I said, feeling a little hurt.

"It's not the same," Ava said grabbing her and Claire's cookies while Ashley held onto the pecan pie securely. Ava's grin was wide as she sauntered up to the teenage boys with her cookies in hand, Claire was practically giddy to see her and threw her arms around Ava's neck, passing the cookies to Quil. Ashley moved closer to me and handed me the pie so she could hold onto my waist. From the look of things, the main party would be out back in a large tent of sorts, that was filled to the brim with people. Ashley noticed the latter and held on tighter.

"It's okay, sweets. They won't bite," I said as a few of the guys came out of the tent.

"Hey, Abby," Sam said. "I hope you guys are hungry, Nessie and Jake have a huge feast in there."

"Thanks, Sam," I smiled. Ashley came from beside me.

"Excuse me, Mr. Sam Uley. Is Remy here?" she asked.

Sam gave her a funny look. "Remy's in the tent. You know, kid, I think you might have the best manners of anyone I've ever met. But just call me Sam."

She nodded and then looked up at me for the okay. "Go on." And suddenly I was alone.

SETH'S POV

I could see my Abigail from behind, standing by herself. I sensed her nervousness as I watched her.

"So that's her, huh?" Leah asked from my side.

"That's her," I grinned. I looked at my big sister as she took Abby in. I had heard every single word of the conversation the night before and it was true test of my control to keep from bounding up the stairs, falling in front of Abby and telling her I loved her, that my sun rose and set with her and she was the woman I would spend my life making everyday an adventure with. But I didn't. I refrained, listening intently as she and Ashley spoke. God, I love that kid. She's a smart one, she knows what we don't say but hold in our hearts.

"And you're positive you imprinted?" Leah crossed her arms across her chest.

"More than positive," I answered her and then turned to make sure I was face to face with my older sister.

"Do you love her?" she asked, very quietly, so quiet that only another wolf would be able to hear and understand.

"Yes. We haven't said it to each other yet, but I know I love her." I started to get a little anxious watching Abby just stand there. She looked down then at her sisters, Ashley playing with the little kids while Ava stood with the teenagers. "Please be nice to her. I need her, Lee."

Leah nodded. "You know I couldn't possibly hate someone you love. Except maybe Jake," she giggled as Jake came barreling out of the tent.

"Holy Shit! It's the one and only Leah Clearwater!" Jake chuckled loudly until everyone was looking our way, including Abby.

"Holy Shit! It's an overgrown man-boy!" Leah shot back.

"Man-boy? Hey, I'm going to be a Daddy soon!" Jake grinned grabbing Leah and pulling her into a tight grip. I could see Abby watching, nervously, shuffling her feet with no real purpose. It was so cute.

I motioned for her to come over but she shook her head. "Abigail!" I yelled waving. She seemed to take a deep breath before she walked my way. Her hair was pulled to the side, draped over her shoulder, her olive green dress formed to her body as she kept walking. I instantly pulled her to me and kissed her forcefully. "You look so sexy," I whispered, though I knew everyone heard. I looked down at the pie in her hands. "Why didn't you give that to Nessie?"

"I-I haven't been i-in the t-t-tent yet," Abby stuttered. It wasn't like her to be nervous or stutter but when I looked to my side I saw what was making her nervous.

"Oh, Abigail O'Brien, this is my sister, Leah. Leah, this is my girlfriend, Abigail," I smirked, really hoping two of the most important women in my life could get along.

"It's a p-pleasure to meet you, Leah. I've heard so much about you," Abby stuck her hand out to shake but Leah shrugged it off and I felt my body tremble. To my relief, Leah pulled Abby into a hug.

"You've made my little brother even happier than he was, if that's possible. Damn kid, always optimistic. I don't think he has a pissed off or mean bone in his body," Leah said while hugging her. "I'm glad to finally meet you."

Nessie waddled out of the tent, her huge belly in front of her. "Yay! More girls!" she squealed meeting up with Leah and Abby. "Rachel's here and Kim and…" Nessie took Leah and Abby off with her.

I could sense Sam behind me but I didn't say anything. "Have you told her yet?"

"Not yet. I will though. When the times right," I said, keeping my eyes on my imprint who was being introduced to a few others in the tent she hadn't already met.

I watched as the love of my life talked with the others, helped Ashley with her plate of food, and then settled next to me to eat her own Thanksgiving dinner. My plate was piled high, as were most of the other wolves and I watched Abby's eyes grow every time one of us sat down with our full plates. Most of us had more than one plate while Abby daintily cut her turkey.

I leaned over and gave her a big smooch on the cheek as she smiled. "What was that for?"

"For making my world so complete," I whispered, hearing Embry and Paul scoff. I lowered my voice for only the wolves and the one or two Cullens present. "Fuck off."

Abby snuggled into my side after she finished eating, watching everyone and laying her head on my chest. I would lean down every now and then and kiss her forehead or pull her chin up to kiss her lips. I couldn't stop touching her and I loved feeling her body react to my touch. She made me happy, and her scent was stronger today, mixed with the Thanksgiving scents.

"So, Abby, Mom tells me you're a veterinarian," Leah looked at Abby before taking a bite of mashed potatoes, her plate as full as any of the guys.

"Yes, in Forks," Abby answered. "Right next to Seth's office, actually."

"Well that must come in handy for those afternoon quickies," Leah laughed but the feeling wasn't shared by Abby or myself. I made sure to let her know, too, giving a low growl. Abby's face was bright red and I could tell she wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

"Stop it, Leah," I said low.

"I don't think they're having any afternoon quickies. Abby's a virgin," Quil said, outloud. He knew right away he'd fucked up, throwing his hand over his mouth as the crowd of people got silent. Damn the pack mind! And how the hell was I going to explain that to Abby?

She didn't let me, pushing away. "You told them?" Hurt was evident all over her face. Her voice was low, too, trying not to cause a scene.

"No, Abby, why would I tell anyone that?" I tried to console her but the damage was already done as Abby looked away from me.

"Then how the hell did he know?" she gritted through her teeth.

_Damn pack mind! Damn, damn pack mind!_

"I told him," Claire blurted out. I knew my look was a look of total confusion. "I told, um, we were talking about how much pressure people put on girls to have sex and Ava told me that you were kinda her hero in that way and I slipped and told Quil." Claire was lying. Anyone who knew her really, really well, knew she was lying.

"She's taking one for the team," Quil said low. In actuality, she was more than just taking one for the team. She was royally saving my ass. "All the more reason you need to tell her, Seth."

"What?" Abby looked around too confused to really say anything else.

Claire looked down. "Please don't fire me. I just…it was an accident. I tell Quil everything and we were talking and I just kinda slipped."

"You think I'd fire you because of that?" Abby asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Please, child, I'm more pissed at your overgrown beefcake than you." She snuggled back into my arms and conversation picked up again but everyone would occasionally glance our way and I could feel Abby tensing.

"Bee, what's wrong?" I said kissing her forehead, then her cheek, then chin.

"Please not now, Seth," she said not looking at me. "Everyone keeps staring at me like I'm some kinda freak."

I wanted to laugh. If she knew that my friends and I morphed into giant wolves, the Cullens were vampires, and Nessie was a half-breed, her being a virgin would pale in comparison on the freak meter. "I'm sorry, but I don't think they are."

Abby released her grip on me and got up. "Thank you for a wonderful lunch. Happy Thanksgiving," she looked at Nessie and nodded. No hug like usual, nothing. "Ashley, let's go, sweets." Abby said to her little sister who was presently sitting next to Kim and Emily doting on the little boys.

"No! I wanna stay and I never get to do what I wanna do!" Ashley yelled, standing up to stomp her feet.

"Ash," Ava said, eyeing her sisters. "Abby, she can ride home with me and Claire and Quil later."

Abby didn't say anything, just nodded before she found Leah. "It was nice to meet you, Leah."

"It was nice to meet you too, Abby. Do you really have to leave so soon?" Leah asked while my Mom put her hand on Leah's arm.

"Yes. Goodbye, Sue," Abby walked off as everyone watched, I followed after her, Ava and Ashley hot on my trail, followed by Quil and Claire and then Leah.

"Dude, you're fucked," Ava said.

"I don't get it, what happened?" I asked.

Ava looked at Claire as we all stopped when Abby pulled off. "Abby's really sensitive about certain things. Since our parents died, people always kinda look at us differently. Abbs suffers in silence, she takes the stares and the looks of pity. But one thing she loved about being here was that no one looked at her like that. Just then, when that happened, when the whole group found out her deepest secret, well, she might as well have been on display for everyone to see, just like she is when people find out she's raising us on her own or that our parents died. And then Ashley didn't help."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I like it here with Dr. Seth and the other big dudes," Ashley said. It was really awkward having the conversation in front of everyone but I could tell it was winning points with Leah.

"And you know how hard holidays are, Ash. You knew she was trying her best," Ava pointed at her sister who looked down.

"Sorry," Ashley mumbled. Her glance shot up to Ava. "I wanna go home."

"You have to wait now," Ava said.

"No! I wanna go home-home! I wanna go back to Oklahoma! I want my family back!" Ashley cried as Ava went to comfort her. "I want my Mommy…" Big tears rolled down her cheeks as her chest heaved and she covered her face.

"Ashley," I said softly moving over by her, hoping the wolves couldn't hear too much. "Do you remember what I told you about your family?" I stooped down, resting on my knee to be eye level with her. "What did I tell you?"

Ashley stopped crying for a minute and looked up at me. "That you and Abby and Ava are my family."

"And who else?" I asked.

"Your family here," she said, trying really hard not to look at me.

"Do you not believe me?" I asked while Ashley shook her head no then shrugged. "Wherever we are, together, that's home. Doesn't matter if we're in Kalamazoo or Timbuktu or La Push. When our family is together, that's home." Ashley's eyes drifted up to stare. I slowly turned, catching the familiar scent.

"I forgot my purse," Abby said as the tears in her eyes started to fall. I left one O'Brien for the other, not even thinking as I literally scooped her up in my arms holding her so tight I worried I might crush her. I breathed in her scent, before I leaned in to kiss her lips, gently then running my tongue on her bottom lip before she opened with a contented sigh.

"Don't leave me like that, Abigail. It scares me," I rested my forehead on hers.

"Sorry," she mumbled sounding just like Ashley earlier. Speaking of Ashley…

"I like you, kid. You got spunk but you smell like a dog," I heard Leah say.

"How do you know I smell like a dog?" Ashley giggled taking my sister's hand and walking back to the tent.

I turned back to Abby, whose tears were drying. I kissed her again, and waited as her hands found my hair and twisted into it. "I'm staying with you tonight. Then tomorrow night, I'll ask Leah to watch Ashley and you and I are going on a date, just us, and then…" I trailed off pulling her closer and whispering in her ear. "Will you sleepover at my place tomorrow night instead? I think we could use some alone time."

"Yes. But no promises on sex, Seth," Abby tensed again.

I ran my fingers through her hair. "I don't want there to be. We'll do it when you're ready, and I know that's not now. Don't worry about it, okay?" Abby nodded and we headed back to the tent to finish lunch. Mom, Nessie, Rachel, Kim, and Emily giving Abby hugs to welcome her back. Even Leah had the chance to talk to her, apologize to Abby for her behavior. Then, of course, she came to apologize to me. I was a little less accepting at first. Mainly because I had an ulterior motive.

"Okay," I told her. "I'll forgive you. But on one condition. See, I have this date with Abby tomorrow night…"

"And?" Leah snorted.

"I need you to watch Ashley for me," I said.

"That's it?" Leah asked with a sigh. "I thought you were going to make me give you a pedicure or something silly."

"Well, there's more to it. It would be overnight," I grinned. "You'd have to watch her overnight."

Leah eyed me curiously. "Does Abby know about this?"

"Yes," I answered shortly.

"So, I take it, you're going to 'claim your imprint?'"

I shook my head and waved my hands. "No, no. We've been sleeping in the same bed together, there's nothing sexual about it. And I want to be able to do that at the cabin, I want her to feel at home there too." I felt bad saying the next part but I knew it needed to be said. "I love Ashley and Ava and I'm glad they're such a big part of Abby's life. But it would it be nice, you know, just a date with just the two of us."

Leah nodded. "I'll watch Ashley. You don't have anything to worry about."

I didn't let Abby out of my sight for the rest of the party. When she wasn't with the other wolf-girls, she was by my side, listening to Jake, Quil, and Embry joke. I stayed at the O'Brien house that night, Abby curled next to me and I reveled in the physical contact, just the slightest touch on my chest was enough to turn the coil in my stomach and I had to remember to keep the wolf at bay.

I worked the next day while Abby took Ashley to the Mall to see Santa Clause. I arranged for a late dinner in Port Angeles, giving my imprint enough time to settle her sister with Leah before our date. I listened as Abby told Ashley to be good and gave Leah her cell number, her Aunt Tess's cell number, Ava's cell number, and then, finally, in the event that she couldn't reach any of those, her Aunt Shannon's house and cell number in Oklahoma.

"I'll be fine. Go have fun with Dr. Seth," Ashley smiled and pulled Abby down to her. "You look really pretty by the way."

"Thanks," Abby kissed her sister on the head and took my hand. Pretty was the biggest understatement in the world. Abby looked amazingly, awesomely, fantastically gorgeous. Her black dress had a thick purple band around the waist and she carried a black cardigan over her arm. Abby went over a few things with Leah again before I had to slip my hand in hers and walk her out the door.

I chose a quaint French bistro in Port Angeles, and the waiter, whose name was Pierre, but actually was probably named Peter, took our orders while I stared at my imprint.

I pulled her hand to my lips, kissing down it to the inside of her wrist then up to her elbow, stopping on her tattoo to run my tongue around it. "Seth," she gasped as the waiter walked back to our table, pouring more wine. He walked off and Abby pulled my chin up. "Kiss me again, on my lips."

I leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her lips, trying to deepen it as my phone vibrated in my pocket. "Damn," I groaned pulling the phone out.

"Who is it?" Abby asked, sipping her wine.

"Jake," I grumbled. "I need to take this." I could see a little disappointment in her eyes but she nodded.

"Go ahead."

"Hello?"

There was no salutation or greeting from Jake, he was in Alpha mode. "I need you to bring Abby to my house, now. We have an emergency," Jake ordered.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Luka's been shot. He can't phase back and I may need Abby to come treat him," Jake commanded.

"Is it safe?" I asked, watching Abby's face as she questioned me with her eyes.

"We'll find out," Jake said, hanging up.

Now came the hard part, telling Abby that our date was over before it had really even begun. "Bee," I whispered. "I'm sorry, there's an emergency at Jake's. A, uh, wolf's been shot," I said as Abby breathed in. "He needs you to…"

Abby cut me off grabbing my hand and her purse. "A wolf?" She asked gathering up the rest of our stuff as I threw down a hundred dollar bill. "Let's go."


	10. Bullet Wounds

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters, as well as their aunts and cousins are my babies.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. I'm loving writing in her universe and she's an amazing friend! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World."**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at ****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. You can find a picture of the dress Abby wore on their date.**

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 15 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_** for a wonderful conversation between Leah and Nessie. We find out exactly why Leah is feeling so nice.**

**Happy Advent! And if I don't talk to you before, have a very Merry Christmas! **

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: BULLET WOUNDS**

**ABBY'S POV**

I would be lying if I said I hadn't been looking forward to a night alone, just me and Seth. I loved my sisters very much and Ashley was head-over-heels for Seth but it was going to feel good to be just us, to be two grown ups out, on a date. I'd primped and shopped just for tonight and I was pleased with myself. Seth seemed satisfied as he ran soft delicate kisses up my arm while we sat at the French restaurant. It was comfy and classy with a brick fire oven in the open dining room and a mural of the Eiffel Tower on the wall.

I didn't want to take my eyes or my thoughts off of Seth in his cobalt blue shirt and black slacks. He was…beautiful. It was all well and good until his phone vibrated in his pocket. Our evening was cut short by an injured wolf. Not that I'm complaining, I don't mind taking care of any animal that needs my help, I just…well, I guess I am complaining, but I don't mean to, not like it sounds.

"I'm sorry, Bee, but I promise I'll make it up to you," Seth said, his hand firm in mine as we drove back to La Push. "I know this was supposed to be a special night and I ruined it."

I turned to look at him with my furrowed brow. "Hush. You didn't do anything wrong and I don't mind."

His hand moved from holding mine to resting on my knee, then my thigh, pushing up the hem of my dress a little as he squeezed, a little too hard. I looked over at Seth. There was stress in his eyes, worry. "You okay?" I asked him, looking to see his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking," Seth said as we pulled into Forks.

"We need to stop at the clinic so I can grab supplies," I told him, moving my hand to rest on his knee. "Are you upset because it's a wolf? I know you said they're your favorite animal." I couldn't think of any other reason why he'd be so upset and distraught. "I'm sorry, Seth, I'll try my best." I told him, suddenly feeling like a failure, worrying I wouldn't be able to save the wolf and having to see even one ounce of trouble in Seth's eyes.

"That's it," Seth nodded. "I'm just worried." He put his hand out and took mine. "But I know that he is in more than capable hands."

"Thanks," I said shyly, looking down.

The drive was quick, it almost always was and we stopped at the clinic for me to grab my surgical tools kit, anesthesia, and an extra set of scrubs as I shoved them all in a medical bag. Seth waited in the car and I could see him drumming his thumbs when I came out. He was anxious and it was rubbing off on me. I bounced my knee as we drove. That is until we got closer to La Push and he put his hand back on my knee. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you nervous too," Seth said softly and I felt my body relax as he moved his hand up again and rested it as high on my thigh as he could. The console suddenly made me want to scream and I wanted to be in Seth's lap, probably not a safe thing since he was driving but I didn't care. I needed to be as close as possible. I had to settle for laying my own hand on his thigh. It was the most inappropriate time to want to grope him but I wanted to and the feeling got worse the closer we got to the Blacks'.

I kept getting braver until my hand rested right before _him_ and I wouldn't go any further. We were on a mission and I refused to let my crazy hormones get in the way of saving an animal. Luckily for me, the temptation laxed as we pulled into the Blacks' driveway. We were met at the door by a fury of Native American men and boys, all I recognized, some shirtless. They crowded us and I started to become a little overwhelmed with the frenzy of voices.

"Let her through! It's Abby!" I recognized Scar as he grabbed my arm and pulled me away from them, Seth close on my heels. "He's back here." Scar pulled me with him into a room that looked like a locker room.

Quil paced back and forth, rubbing his hands over his face until he saw me. "Thank God!"

Jake popped his head from behind a wall and I almost didn't recognize him. Jake had always been laidback, a bit of a joker. Not like some of the other men, but he was fun and warm. Now, he was stoic, his face in a hard scowl. "It's about goddamn time, Clearwater."

"Sorry, we had to stop and get some supplies," Seth apologized. The apology was quite interesting as well, it wasn't like Seth's normal apologies. It was like he was speaking to his employer or father. It was very respectful and subordinate.

I moved my eyes from Seth back to Jake. "Can I see him?" I asked, pulling the scrubs out of my bag, pulling the pants on quickly over my dress and kicking my high heels off. Jake nodded and guided me back to a large bench or counter. I took one look at the dark furred wolf and said, "I don't think I brought enough anesthetic." The wolf was huge, mirroring the size of a horse, and it whimpered a little as I walked towards it. "What do they feed the wolves in Washington?" I got closer and leaned my head down listening.

"Um, Nessie's brother has medical training and he tried to see what he could do but the wolf wouldn't sit still long enough for him to find anything," Jake said standing over me.

I looked up at him as he towered over me, I didn't even think as I pulled my dress over my head, standing in front of Jake, Quil, Seth, and the wolf in scrub pants, and a strapless black bra, which I swiftly covered with the scrub top. "Does Ness's brother have training with animals?" I asked, coming even closer to the poor horse-wolf, petting his head and leaning down to shush him. I put in the IV portal and turned back to Jake.

"No. He brought blood, though," he pointed to two bags of blood clearly marked **O Pos**.

"That won't—" I was cut off as Seth connected the blood bag to the IV and placed the IV bag on the makeshift IV stand/locker.

"Seth! NO!" I screamed pushing him out of the way. I panicked, pulling out the stethoscope and listening intently. "You can't give an animal human blood! You probably just fucking killed him!" I'd never yelled at Seth like that, I'd never yelled at anyone like that actually, and I could see him wince a little as he and Jake exchanged a look I wasn't familiar with. I listened closely to the heartbeat for a minute, closing my eyes to take in the rhythm and make sure there was no change. Blood transfusions were rare in animals, and if they were done, it was only with blood from an animal of the species. I thought for sure I would hear the wolf's heart start to give out but it was still the same, a loud, fast heartbeat. I opened my eyes and glared at Seth. "If you're going to do that, then you need to get the hell out of here! All of you!"

"I'm staying," Jake commanded and I shuddered a little at the authority in his voice and found myself agreeing.

"O-o-okay," I nodded turning to Seth.

"If you find the bullet, I'll finish up," Seth said back to me with no emotion in his voice.

"Like hell you will!" I shouted, pulling the surgical tools out my bag. "Are you a veterinarian? Do you have experience treating canines? Or equines for that matter since this wolf is as big as a horse? Do you know how to appropriately administer ketamine? No!" I kept pulling things out of the bag as a man walked in behind us, greeting him being the last thought on my mind. "You _human_ doctors are always so cocky!"

A snicker came from the man behind me as Jake shot him a look. "I hardly think now is the time for laughing, Edward," he said to the man.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help but think about how much Carlisle would've loved to have heard that statement," the Edward gentleman approached me. "I'm Edward, Ness's brother. You met my wife Bella yesterday." Edward reached his hand out to me to shake but the wolf behind me started to thrash and yelp.

"Whoa, boy, whoa," I pivoted to him, petting his fur as the thrashes slowed. It was a technique I'd used on almost every traumatic event I'd treated, it was a technique I'd seen my father use countless times on horses and I adapted it to fit the size of the animal I happened to be treating. I placed my hand on the wolf's chest, while stroking his head softly with the other and humming. Odd, I know, but my Dad's theory was that if humming could soothe a child, it could soothe an animal. I didn't really matter what you hummed, it could've been Metallica or Enya, as long as it was soft. And it worked momentarily until Edward moved closer again. "I don't think he likes you," I said to Edward as the wolf growled and thrashed again. I grabbed the large wolf's muzzle, looking at it almost directly in the eye and used the second tool in my veterinary bag of tricks. I talked to him.

**SETH'S POV**

I wanted to tell her to stop. My beautiful imprint's face, nose to nose with an unstable, pissed off werewolf. I didn't though, she seemed more than confident as she looked into Luka's eyes, plus Jake had a firm grip on Luka's neck, keeping his head down on the table.

"Calm down, buddy. No one's going to hurt you, okay? I'm gonna make it better," she kept talking as Edward backed out. "Seth, can you hand me the vile in my bag?"

I moved slowly as she kept petting Luka, softly humming and talking to him. "Here you go, Bee," I whispered, sitting it on the table next to her.

She didn't miss a beat. "Can you get me one-and-a-half milligrams?"

"Sure," I held the vial and the syringe up, Abby getting super close to Luka's face again. "Abigail, that's dangerous. Animals can attack when they're injured," I said to her, capping the syringe. She laid Luka's head down on the table, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she grabbed a bag of saline from her medical kit, hooking it onto the IV stand then placing it in the other portal on his paw before slowly administering the ketamine. "A horse tranquilizer?"

She nodded. "You can use it in dogs and cats too. In smaller doses." She pushed the plunger on the syringe sending the clear medicine into Luka's IV then capped the syringe and put it to the side. "You're okay, you're safe, and I'm going to get that metal out of you, okay? So you just take a little nap and when you wake up, you'll feel better."

It seemed like Luka was listening, his heartbeat slowing. "I think he's out," I said, grabbing Abby's stethoscope and let her guide it so I could hear his heartbeat. Abby moved with speed to the wound on his side. I could tell that Luka's breathing had steadied and I moved the stethoscope. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to shave the fur off just around the wound," she said, digging in her bag and handing me a razor. I started in on the shaving as she went to scrub and prep for searching for the bullet. I was careful to make sure Luka wasn't healing, I didn't want to tip Abby off to anything weird. "Your turn," she said to me as I finished shaving the area. I watched her though, while I scrubbed up. She had her purple gloves on, pulling at the skin around Luka's wound. She'd laid her tools out, bright, shiny, and sterilized.

"Jake, can you tie our masks?" I asked. He followed me back to my spot next to Abby, standing sternly and he was quick to tie both of us. It was one of only a handful of times I'd feared my Alpha, and not because I was worried that he might hurt me, but that he might scare my Abigail. I looked around making sure the locker room was somewhat of a sterile environment. "Does Ness have an apron in the kitchen?" I didn't want to get blood on my nice clothes and felt guilty thinking about ruining Ness's apron but it had to be done.

Jake nodded and called for Lil' G to run and get it. Lil' G followed his directions as Abby started to work. She pulled out the betadine and looked at me. "I need you to pull his tongue out of his mouth," she said using a sponge to spread the betadine on the whole area I'd shaved. It was pretty miraculous that the bleeding had stopped and I worried about how she might react as Lil' G brought in my apron.

"Here you go," he said handing it to me. _Great_, I thought. It was bright pink with the words "Kiss the Cook" on it. As if my imprint yelling at me didn't make me feel emasculated enough but it would have to do for now.

"Why do I have to pull his tongue out?" I asked curious, not a hint of disagreement or argument in my voice.

"To keep it from falling back into his mouth and so I can watch the color of it to see how he's doing. If it starts to turn a bluish color, we're in trouble," she said picking up a scalpel and cutting the skin around the wound a little. "Wow."

"What?" I asked, afraid of what she'd found.

"The bullet. It like lodged itself in his ribs. I would think it would've gone deeper into the tissue," Abby looked diligently at the wound. "That's just…his bones…wow." I leaned over Abby's shoulder and looked. Just as she said, the bullet had stopped in the middle of his ribcage. "I need a piece of gauze and the forceps."

I handed each item to her and watched as she wrapped the gauze around the bullet before she attached the forceps to it. It wasn't like the forceps for humans, they looked like large tweezers. And the gauze, I was unfamiliar with why she would need that. "Why the gauze?" I asked.

"Because, the bullet could still explode and I'd like to keep both my hands. I have plans for them later," Abby said coyly looking at me. We were in the middle of a traumatic event, one of my brothers laying on the operating table, and yet I had never _wanted_ her more. "Okay. Here we go." She wrapped the forceps around the gauze covered bullet and gave a hard yank. At first nothing happened, then she wiggled the forceps a little and inch by tiny inch, the bullet slowly slid out. "Shit!" she yelled, putting the bullet down.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to see as she crowded the area.

"He's bleeding, I swear it looked like nothing was penetrated…" she stopped and grabbed a piece of gauze removing some of the blood. "What the hell?"

_Shit! He healed_, I thought and exchanged another worried look with Jake. This was getting dangerous but I knew I had to play it off. "Is he bleeding badly?" I asked.

"No. It's like he just stopped," Abby said moving the gauze around and soaking some of the blood. "There's not much I can do about the crack and hole in his ribs other than wrap him up and hope it heals well."

I nodded and looked to Jake and Quil, who was now at Jake's side. Both gave me a small nod. "What's the prognosis?" Jake asked.

Abby stopped looking around Luka's ribs and started to pull the skin back together. "Most likely, I'll just need to wrap his ribs after I stitch him up. He'll need some place to stay so that I can come back and check on him everyday. But, it seems like he's pretty strong."

"Will he have permanent damage?" Quil asked as Abby shook her head no.

"He'll maybe have a scar from the stitches but his fur should cover that okay," she turned to her kit and pulled out the stitching materials setting to work. She was quite skilled and I almost envied her technique, stopping every now and then to pet Luka, who was not completely out now but seemed to be subdued enough. "Um, where is he going to be able to stay? I don't think you want a wolf hanging around your house." _If she only knew_! "My other concern is the cause of this injury. I had an Alaskan Malamute dog that was shot and killed a few weeks ago. His wound was identical to this. I don't like the idea of someone shooting wolves. It's just…wrong."

I saw Jake's face soften a little as he watched her finish her work. He assured her that it was no problem for him and Nessie to have a wounded wolf on their property. I helped Abby wrap Luka's ribs tight and saw her wince every now and then when she would hear him whimper. "The poachers were taken care of," Jake told her as we finished the last wrap and she removed her rubber gloves.

"Good," Abby nodded.

"Thank you, Abby, for coming so quickly and doing this," Jake didn't smile but his face wasn't as stern and fierce as before and Abby gave him a small smile.

"It's no problem, Jake. I would've been mad if you hadn't called me," she patted Luka's head. "He should wake up in the next half-hour or so. I'll stick around until then if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Jake said. "And let me know how much I owe you."

Abby put her hands up and shook her head again. "Nonsense, I wouldn't dream of collecting a single cent from you, Jacob Black. This animal needed special help and I was the only one that could give it to him. I should thank you for realizing that."

I wrapped my arms around Abby and pulled her close to me, inhaling the scent of her hair. "Well, thanks all the same," Jake grinned. He was relaxing, Quil was relaxing a little. "Quil, I think you have a call to make. You're sister?"

"Oh, yeah," Quil said nodding at Abby. "I take back every bad thing I said about you," he winked at her as she let out a little giggle.

"Good," she smiled, leaning into me more.

I felt myself start to rock her softly and kissed her forehead. "You know, we still have all night, Abigail. We can wait for him to wake up and then go back to my house. If you want." I was trying to whisper, though it was useless in a houseful of wolves.

She nodded in my arms. "Yes, very much."

I heard a few chuckles from outside but shrugged them off. I didn't care what they thought, the most important creature in the world was in my arms and that was where I intended her to stay for a very long time.

"Seth," Jake said, nodding towards the door, which in the language of Jake was code for 'we need to talk.' I nodded back, pulling Abby's face up so I could see her delicious pink lips and bright shining emerald eyes.

"I need to go chat with Jake but I'll be right back, okay?" I told her as she squeezed me tighter.

"Promise you'll be right back," she wouldn't let me go.

"I promise," I said feeling her grip relax as she released me fully and I gave her a tiny kiss on the lips before walking out the back door. Jake was sitting on a log, Embry and Quil standing around him.

"You have to tell her, Seth," Jake said, looking down. "I know it's a lot. And I know it's hard, but you have to. What if Luka had phased mid-surgery? What the fuck would you have done then?"

Embry and Quil, his wingmen, looked at me seriously, knowing the Alpha was right. "I can't just blurt it out, Jake. I love her and I can't just say that either. She's been through a lot and I think saying, 'Hey, by the way, me and my buddies poof into big giant horse-wolves' might freak her out, and I can't…I can't lose her, Jake. I waited so long for her and she's here and she actually wants me too. I don't want to ruin that," I said with conviction.

"You know by keeping it from her, when she does find out, she's gonna be majorly pissed," Embry said. "I know girls like her, they're not the type that likes being lied to."

"I'm not lying, I'm just," I had to think hard. "Omitting the truth."

"Same damn thing," Quil huffed. He came up closer to me. "Other than you, I probably know Abby better than any other wolf. Tell her. Not tonight, not tomorrow night but soon. She loves you too, Seth and she'll be okay with it. Eventually."

He might have been right but I wouldn't risk it, not yet. I heard Abby's voice speaking softly and I realized Luka must be awake. "Can we discuss this later? Right now, I just want to take Abby home and make out with her for what's left of our date night."

The Three Wisemen gave out a grumble as I walked off, back into the locker room with Abby. "You ready to go home? He seems okay for now. I'll have Jake call me though the moment anything changes," Abby smiled at me.

_Home…Someday it would be both our home_. And that thought, combined with how much I loved my animal doctor/imprint/girlfriend made me smile.

**ABBY'S POV**

"I think you should leave your toothbrush," Seth said standing next to me in his bathroom as I brushed my teeth. "I have one at your house."

I spit out the paste, brushed my tongue, and washed my mouth out. "It's a little harder for me to just stay here, babe." I looked at him. He was standing in front of the mirror, finishing brushing his own teeth. He was shirtless and the flannel pajama pants hung low on his waist.

"I know, but it's not like you can't bring Ashley here," Seth said looking at me carefully.

"And Ava?" I asked, watching his face carefully. This was something I was concerned about, something we hadn't discussed yet. I loved Seth and I knew that I wouldn't ever be with anyone else, ever. But I still worried where my sisters fit into any future we may have.

Seth looked at me a little more closely. "Abigail O'Brien," he scolded me and cocked his eyebrow.

I smiled at him. "I know, I know. My sisters are always welcome here," I said.

He moved towards me and snaked his arms around my waist. I laid my head on his chest, listening to him breathe and listening to his heart beat. Those were the two best sounds in the world because that meant Seth, my Seth, was okay. "Have I told you how much I like the idea of you being here? In my house, in my bed?"

"I just like being anywhere close to you," I whispered blushing. "I'm sorry I yelled at you at Jake's. I just got in the zone and I just…"

"I know," he answered putting his chin on my head. "You were pretty damn amazing, by the way."

I chuckled. "Thanks."

"You were calm and you should've been scared shitless," he said, lifting me slightly in his arms. My pajamas for tonight were a t-shirt of Seth's, a dark gray with blue lettering that read "La Push HS Wolves." It was big on me and hung well below my knees, and more importantly, it smelled like Seth, like Christmas trees and sugar cookies. It was warm and loving, just like my Seth. His lips moved closer and his hands moved further down until they rested firmly on my butt. "You were my hero."

Almost instinctively I wrapped my legs around his waist. I couldn't think to talk or do anything but enjoy the taste and feel of Seth's tongue as it ran along my bottom lip then pushed into my mouth, not breaking away even as he laid me down. His bed was huge, soft, and I couldn't even take in the large flat screen TV that hung at the bottom of the headboard. All I could think of, feel, realize was Seth.

His large hands, soft and rough at the same time, ran up my thighs stopping at my hips. He moved his kisses to my cheeks, then my forehead, my chin. And he pushed my t-shirt up over my breasts, kissing each peak before I had a thought. "Seth," I moaned.

"Bee," he answered.

"How many women have you slept with?" I blurted out, realizing that I probably totally ruined the moment, but it was a legitimate question, right?

"What?" Seth's eyes moved from my breasts to my eyes.

I tried to calm him, stroking his hair. "Well, you know that I'm a virgin and I know you're not. I know that what we have is…special. And I want to, no, I need to know how many women you've slept with."

He pulled away completely, sitting across from me now. I could see a change in his demeanor. He didn't like this question. "Why would you want to know that?"

I couldn't figure out if he was worried or mad or anxious. I knew there was no way we'd be back in the kissing position we were in a few minutes ago, but I'd heard, from my cousins, Chloe, Vanessa, hell even my cousin Raul made it clear that when you had sex with someone, you had sex with everyone that person had had sex with. And I knew that if Seth and I continued on the path we were on, sex was in the future. So I deserved to know, right? "I just…do," I hoped that was good enough.

Seth closed his eyes and cleared his throat. "I don't know if…"

I scooted closer to him, this time wrapping my arms around him. "Why don't you want to tell me?"

He didn't hesitate to hold me and I leaned my head on his chest. "I don't want you to judge me. I wasn't the same person I am now. I did some crazy stuff in college and then, I don't know, before you."

"I won't judge you, Seth. Other than my sisters, you are the most important person in my life," I whispered it to him, hoping he could hear the sincerity in my voice. "I just need to know."

Seth took another deep breath. "A few. I, um, I lost my virginity to a girl from Makah…" It looked almost like it pained him to talk about it, though I couldn't for the life of me think why. Sex was supposed to feel good, why would he be remorseful of sleeping with someone before me? I cuddled closer and felt his hand rub my back. "The first, my first was a sister of a friend of Emily's. She was my girlfriend, kinda, and then, after we did it, she dumped me." _Talk about giving someone a complex. _

"Was it, were they—" he cut me off, which I was thankful for.

"It was nice at the time. But I think, if you and I did it, it would be…more," Seth sighed and it took me a minute to realize that he wasn't holding me now, I was holding him. He wasn't making a proposition or asking me to have sex with him. He was reassuring me that it would be okay and it made me realize I loved him with every single part of myself. I loved him. It was three simple words: I Love You. But I needed him to say it first, I couldn't take the risk of not hearing it said back to me.

His head was laying on my chest now and I kept stroking his hair. "I'm sorry I ruined the moment," I said to him as he sat up.

"No, it's probably something we should've talked about before now, actually. I don't know though, I don't like to think there was ever anyone before you," his words made me instantly blush and his dark eyes looked up at me as I raised up to kiss his lips.

"Honestly, there was never anyone worth mentioning before you," I smiled. "You are it, Seth." I added 'forever' into my thoughts but didn't dare say it out loud. And just like that, the mood was back.

Seth pushed me back down, crawling in between my legs. But I got bold and rolled so I was on top. Every time Seth had been naked in my bed, the lights were always off and I never really got to admire the piece of art that was Seth's body. Tonight was different. It was just him and me and the lights were on. I pulled away as Seth's eyes watched me. "What's wrong?"

"Can I…can I see you?" I stuttered out. It took Seth a minute to realize what I was asking and his eyes were full of confusion until it hit him.

"You wanna see me, like 'see me, see me'?" I nodded and watched him stand up from the bed. "Only if I can take your shirt off first." I nodded again and his hands worked quickly to meet the hem of the shirt as he lifted it off of me. I blushed as he stared for a minute, swallowing hard as he took in what he saw. My breasts weren't particularly large, that weren't small either, and it was cold. "Can I touch?" I nodded, trying to figure out at what point I became speechless. He inched his warm hands forward and gently grasped both of them. This was farther than I'd ever been before and I was about to go even farther, finding the elastic in the pajama pants he wore, slowly pulling them down.

My breath caught in my chest when he was fully exposed and I started to wonder if it would ever be an okay idea to have sex with Seth, he was, well, quite well-endowed. "Um," I stuttered, licking my lips. He released his hold on me and looked away, almost like he was embarrassed. "You're…wow." That got a smirk out of him. I started to move my hands to touch him but decided against it, instead just enjoying the view.

Eventually, after about ten minutes of gawking and Seth randomly groping my breast and kissing me, we decided the exhibition was over and it was time for bed. He pulled the pants off completely though and helped me put my shirt back on as we curled into bed, laying on our sides and facing one another.

Seth kissed my neck and ran a finger through my hair. "Why weren't you scared, earlier, when you were with the wolf? You should've been terrified, but you weren't, you were calm and collected."

"I don't know. I've been more interested in wolves lately. Maybe it has to do with Ashley's buddy, Sandy," I smiled at him.

He chuckled. "Do you know why Jake and the guys were so worried about the wolf?"

I shook my head and gently touched his cheek. "Why? You were all very nervous and it kinda freaked me out a little."

"Well, see, we Quileutes have legends about wolves. Supposedly, we are descended from them, so, when we see a wolf hurt or in pain, it's almost like we can feel it," Seth's eyes never left mine and I wanted to ask questions.

"From wolves?" I asked, my voice low. "I can see why you would feel a connection with them. I like legends." I scooted closer to him. "Will you tell me another one?"

Seth smiled and kissed my forehead. "Well, there was this chief named Ephraim Black, and he—"

"Black? Like Jake and Nessie?" I yawned.

He nodded. "That's Jake's great-grandfather. Anyway, one night he and a few other men…"

I felt myself falling then, into a deep sleep and I hated that I was missing this legend. But before he said another word, I was out like a light.


	11. Good Wolf

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters kinda belong to me.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. I'm loving writing in her universe and she's an amazing friend! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World." She is extraordinarily talented and you won't be disappointed.**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at ****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. **

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 16 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. The timeline for that chapter is about two weeks after this one and you get to see some asskicking. **

**Merry Day After Christmas!**

**Thank you to all of you who continue to read and review! It brightens my day and I apologize if my review replies are a little slow. Please don't forget to review!**

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**CHAPTER 10: GOOD WOLF**

**SETH'S POV**

I held Abby as she slept for a minute, turning to look at the clock before I grabbed my cell phone and headed downstairs to the kitchen to make a phone call. Nessie had sent leftover lasagna with us and we had no problem heating it up, but, being a wolf, my appetite was not quite satisfied. I grabbed a few cookies that Mom had brought and a glass of milk before I dialed Quil's number . "Hey, Quil. You still at Jake's?" I asked.

"Yep, why, did you tell Abby?" he asked.

"I did, but I don't think she heard it. She kinda fell asleep," I chuckled, Quil obviously didn't find the humor in the situation. Luka's his nephew, I could understand.

"So why are you calling?" Quil asked.

"Is Lil' G around?" Just saying that ridiculous name took everything in my power to keep from laughing. I needed him though, I needed a favor actually.

"Sup, Lil' G in the hizzouse," he croaked on the other end.

I growled, instinctively, maybe that was the survival of the fittest gene kicking in and telling me I could take this punk. "Little Gal, this is S to the E to the T-H," I said, trying to keep from cracking up.

"You making fun of my name again?"

"Yep. But I know some way we can end this dispute once and for all." I told him my plan, to which he agreed, and then headed back to bed. Abby was laying on her stomach and I had a great view of her backside. I gently placed myself next to her trying to make sure I didn't wake her up but I pulled her close and held her again. I could have stayed like that forever. And waking up like I did, made it so much more enjoyable.

"Good morning, my prince," Abby whispered as she stroked my brow. My face lit up with those words, _my prince_. I stroked cheek and leaned over to kiss her lips lightly.

"Good morning, my hero," I smiled. She giggled at me and scooted so our pelvises met, then hitched her knee over my hip.

"What time is it?" she stared into my eyes.

"Early, I think. Maybe 7 or 8. It's Saturday, so we can go back to sleep," I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the fact that the contact below my waist was making me hard as a rock. "If you want," I told her kissing her again this time with a lot more force.

Abby kept pace with me and ran her tongue over mine and I suddenly wondered how long I was going to be able to hold out until I had to claim my imprint. The warmth of her on top of me was quite possibly the most amazing feeling in the world. "Mmm…" she moaned in my mouth. She tasted like pumpkin pie and I wanted to gobble her up. I couldn't help notice the fact, that my hands not only seemed to fit around her breasts perfectly but also fit the cheeks of her backside quite nicely. Before I knew it, my hands were easing their way up her back and pushing the shirt with it. The contact made Abby jump, but it actually was more like a grinding sensation on my already stiff erection. We'd been doing so well, but I knew, with that turn of her hips, she felt it. She felt my raging hard-on that was about two grinds away from ripping her panties off and thrusting into her. "Sorry," she said shyly.

I groaned as she rolled off of me. "Don't be sorry. it's not entirely your fault." I didn't need to ask the next question because catching the scent told me she was aroused but I wanted her to tell me what she felt. "Just now and last night, you know my body reacts…but you, how does it feel for you?" It was actually a really interesting question. In all the sex I'd had, I never really stopped to ask how the female how it felt. Not even just the sex, but the foreplay that consisted of the touching and feeling that Abby and I had recently started.

"Um, I…it feels good and the things, things happen and I don't realize it until I feel this tightening below my belly button and it kinda just spreads," she laid her head on my chest now. "It feels warm and wild and sweet and amazing."

There were about a million things I wanted to say to her, the most important of which were three little words I'd never really said to any girl that wasn't family. The big, "I. Love. You," scared the shit out of me. So I went with something more casual. "Before we go check on the wolf at Jake's, what would you say to a picnic?"

I could feel her smile on my chest. "That sounds good. Can you just hold me for a little while right now?"

"Of course," I whispered keeping her close to me. We lay there for another thirty minutes facing each other. Her fingers ran through my hair as her eyes sparkled.

"You have beautiful hair," her voice was really soft and full of lust. "And your eyes, and your nose. You're…so gorgeous. What the _hell_ are you doing with me?"

I pulled her closer and had her hike her knee over me again. I brought her lips to mine, pressing them ever so lightly against mine. "What am I doing with you? I'm spending everyday telling you just how important you are to me, how much I need you." I put her hand on my chest where my heart was pounding. "No one will ever make me feel like this but you. You own every quadrant, every square inch of my heart." I got a little bolder and put her hand between us so she could feel _me_. "No one else will ever make me feel like this ever. That's what I'm doing with you, Bee."

She squeezed a little, making me harder and I saw a tinge of teasing in her eyes as she giggled. "Sorry," she whispered before kissing me again. "I think we should get going."

I kissed her again, I loved kissing her. If my lips were warm, hers were hot and moist and it felt like home and tasted like the yummiest of desserts. "You can shower up here. I'll get in the one downstairs."

She nodded and picked herself up out of bed, and my eyes followed her all the way to the bathroom, my t-shirt sitting up on her ass so I could see her pretty black panties. _Fuck me_…

I had to wait for her to shut the door and the water turn on before I made my way downstairs. The coffee was already brewing and a black canvas bag with the initials ABO monogrammed on it sat on the countertop. As much as I really, really wouldn't have minded seeing Abby naked, like completely naked, I thought we'd probably pushed the boundaries of that part of our relationship enough for one date.

I heard that water shut off upstairs and I sprinted up with a cup of coffee and Abby's bag. I knocked on the bathroom door softly. "Abbs, I have coffee. I'm leaving your bag on the bed and the coffee on the nightstand."

"Thank you," she said through the door.

Now I knew I was going to have to rush and I pulled out jeans and t-shirt, boxers, socks, and boots before running down the stairs to the guest bathroom. I hurried in the shower, looking at the clock on the wall. It was 10:00 and we had an hour and a half until we had to be in the woods for our "picnic." I thought about Abby upstairs, naked, getting dressed. "Dammit, Clearwater, get your head on straight!" I groaned, feeling "Dr. Seth" below my waist wake up even more than he had been. I got out and brushed my teeth, combed my hair and dressed.

I walked out of the bathroom and caught Abby's scent. She was sitting at the counter with her coffee, looking around the kitchen. Her back was to me and I didn't want to scare her, so I slowly and tenderly wrapped my arms around her and breathed in her hair. It smelled like my shampoo and I couldn't help but think that was sexy.

Abby took a deep breath and held onto me. I rubbed small circles on her back and felt her settle a little. I knew she was anxious, I could feel it. I could feel her emotions, her pleasure, her pain. All of it. My imprint was connected to me on so many levels and yet I couldn't tell her I was a wolf. I couldn't tell her that she was my soul mate and that I was made for her and she for me. I couldn't risk her running out of my life forever. But holding her, loving her, kissing her. That I could do.

"What's your middle name?" she blurted out and I laughed.

"Andrew, why?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, I just wondered. That's not something we've exchanged," she said with a grin. I started to ask hers but she interrupted me. "Mine's Blythe."

"Nice to meet you, Abigail Blythe O'Brien," I said, sticking my hand out for her to shake.

"Back at you Seth Andrew Clearwater," her smile lit up the kitchen.

"I'm gonna make us sandwiches. You wanna grab some bottles of water?" I asked.

"Sure," she hopped up and started rummaging in the refrigerator, handing me the sandwich ingredients while she grabbed water. We packed a nice lunch and loaded the car. I checked my watch, just making sure we were on schedule. We were. I held Abby's hand as I drove. She looked out the window as we passed the cemetery where my Dad was buried. "Stop!" She yelled as I slammed on the brakes. "Did you see that?"

"What?" I asked, noticing we were stopped at the gates of the cemetery.

"A wolf. A huge silver wolf," she pushed the door open and hopped out. She took off before I could reach for her. She stopped suddenly at a grave. "Oh my…" She crossed herself and turned to me. "I'm sorry, Seth. I really did see a wolf. It was beautiful." She stared at the gravestone. "This is him. Your Dad?"

I nodded to her and leaned down to examine the freshly placed flowers. "Leah's been here. She's the only one that leaves these types of wild flowers."

It was quiet. Too quiet. Until Abby reached over and grabbed my hand to pull me back up. "When we decided to move to Washington, that was one of the hardest things to leave behind. When we were there, in Oklahoma, we could go visit them whenever. If we had a bad day, needed help with a decision, they were there. And then I would feel guilty because part of me thought that moving away, leaving them, would help us move on."

I thought about what Jake said to me that night at the Shipo opening. We were made to heal one another, and everyday I spent with my imprint proved that to me. "But you're lucky to have him here. It's very peaceful and special."

I kissed her forehead and held her while we looked down. I wanted so bad for my Dad to be here, to meet my Abigail. He would love her, love that she loved animals, love that she could care for us wolves, love that she was my other half. "He'd like you. A lot."

"I would like him too. Anyone that could give the world you, I would do anything for," her voice was breathy and I knew this was quite the macabre place to bring your date, but it was comforting.

It had been a long while since I'd visited Dad's grave and I looked around to reacquaint myself with the area when another grave caught my eye, a few graves away from Dad's. _Megan Monroe._ It was nicely taken care of with a cute little silverish stuffed wolf next to it. _Monroe…Monroe…Oscar Monroe. Scar. _"Scar." I didn't mean to say it out loud but Abby heard me.

"What about Scar?"

"Megan Monroe. Scar's name is Oscar Monroe," I said. I thought back on every time I had been phased at the same time that Scar had. He exuded a feeling of loss and sadness, it was almost like a part of him. He was quiet and a bit of a loner. I tried to think of any glimpse of something with Megan. And then I remembered it. A little girl, a park, and a much younger Scar pushing the girl on the swings. Her name was Megan. She had said he was the best big brother ever. "I think that's his sister."

Abby's eyes got wide. "I didn't know he had a little sister. Ava never mentioned it." Abby really had seen a wolf, Scar had been here. Now that I had the clue, one sniff of the air and I caught his scent. Abby looked at me, "Do you wanna stay a little longer?"

"Nah. We can go," I said, taking one last look before walking Abby to the car and driving the rest of the way to an isolated spot just to the west of First Beach. It was more than a little chilly to the average person and I made sure Abby was bundled up as we sat down to eat our sandwiches on the grass. The blanket in my trunk was perfect for this. She finished while I watched, having eaten three sandwiches in the time it took her for the one. We sat afterwards, talking and right on cue, the bushes started to rustle.

**ABBY'S POV**

"What's that?" I panicked. Seth didn't seem to be phased by the rustling leaves.

"It's okay," Seth took my hand to help me stand up and leaned forward. The dark figure hidden in the bush let out a small growl and then moved. I should've been scared but I was intrigued.

"Come out," I sighed. The ghost moved again and I didn't expect a wild animal to decide to join us but it did, another wolf. A huge, gigantic black wolf with white socks moved towards me. And instead of running, like my instincts were telling me, I walked towards it. "Hey, boy," I said, putting my hand out for it to sniff. The wolf walked closer to me and licked my hand. "Wow, he's huge, but he's magnificent." I scratched behind his ears while he moved closer and nuzzled my stomach then moved to nuzzle my neck.

Seth stood back, a smirk on his face. "I think she likes you. But she better watch out. I don't like huge gigantic ugly wolves getting that close to my girlfriend." The wolf let out a growl.

"He's not ugly and I'm pretty sure it's a boy, Seth," I looked at him amused, petting the wolf's fur.

"How can you be sure? Looks like a little girl to me," he chuckled. "Can't you see her with a big pink bow in her hair? We should make this like a regular meeting place and you could paint her paws pink."

"No, just look," I said, pointing to his hind end. "You can tell it's a boy." Well, the wolf would have none of that. He yelped and started to act like he was crossing his back legs. "What's he doing?" then he fell to the ground on his stomach, hiding himself as Seth started laughing.

"I'm surprised we haven't started neutering our wolves here in La Push. You might look into that," Seth joked while the wolf growled low at him. "Oh, you hush."

I was pretty amazed at Seth. He was calm, cool and collected. "Why are they so big, you think? Lots of elk and stuff for them to feed on. But still, they shouldn't be this big." I ran my hand over the animal's head. "Good wolf," I petted the wolf behind his ear. "You be careful, okay? You stay safe and if you need me, you find me. Or you find Seth and he'll find me."

I could feel Seth standing next to me, as he laid his hand on the animal's head. "_Good, Gavin_," he chuckled.

"Gavin?" I asked him.

"Eh, he looks like a Gavin or something that starts with a G," Seth answered. The wolf rose up and I felt dwarfed by his massive frame, so I molded myself into Seth's side as the wolf started to walk off and I rose on my tiptoes to kiss Seth's jaw, then neck. He responded with the same fever. He walked backwards to the blanket, scooping me up in his arms and laying me down. He kissed down my neck, running his hand under my shirt until he reached my bra. He raised up and looked down at me as I moved my hair to one side. And then he said it. It was soft and low but it sounded like honey. "I love you."

My heart sped up and I panicked. What the hell do I do? I mean, I love him, he said it, and his eyes weren't on me now. He looked away, his face full of pain. I pulled Seth's face back to me, looking in his eyes, his dark eyes that made my body heat up and my heart speed up but comforted me like nothing else. "I love you too," I whispered, almost involuntarily like I'd been saying it to him for a hundred years and would say it for a hundred more.

"You do?" he asked with a lot of surprise.

I just nodded and pulled his head to my chest. "I love you more than I thought was ever actually possible, like a fairy tale."

"Good. Because I plan on keeping you with me for a very long time," he kissed me again.

We lay there in the giant open field, the wolf gone, and Seth on top of me. I felt more alive and loved than I had ever felt in my entire existence. _He loved me_. I held his head on my chest and instantly thought of this saying my family has, well had. My Mom used to say that when you love something, you love it with your whole being. You treat it with care and respect. And you love it for always. It was true. With Seth I could see always. I could see a house, a wedding, little raven haired kids running in the yard chasing a dog. And Seth always by my side. That part never changed.

"You're thinking awfully hard," Seth sighed.

I shrugged again. "I was just daydreaming." I knew it was getting to be later in the afternoon and we needed to get to the Blacks' to check on the wolf but I was being selfish and enjoying my time with Seth. "Say it again."

He smiled at me and looked up. "I love you with all my heart, Abigail O'Brien." His mouth met mine and I smiled into the kiss. _He loved me_.

"I love you…for always," I managed to get out between kisses. Something in what I said made him more desperate to be close and he kissed harder.

"Uh-hum," a throat clearing came from the wooded area and Seth and I broke apart. Lil' G walked out, shirtless with a huge smirk on his face. "Sorry to interrupt the baby making but Jake wanted me to make sure you were coming by to check on the wolf."

"We weren't making babies," Seth growled, standing quickly.

Lil' G chuckled. "Whatever you say, Dr. Clearwater."

Seth scoffed and helped me up, then started packing. Seth helped me into the car, taking my hand as Lil' G got in the backseat. "What do you think you're doing?" Seth asked him.

"What? I need a ride," he shrugged.

Seth glanced over at me. "I love you, Bee, so much," he said.

"I love you, too, because you are the smartest, most patient and gentle man I've ever known," I leaned up and kissed his cheek while the few tears in my eyes fell down my cheeks.

"And I'm about to puke up my lunch with all the ooey-gooey fluff, so if we could hold off the love fest for a bit, that'd be awesome," Lil' G groaned from the backseat.

I blushed and looked back at him. "Sorry."

We pulled up to Jake and Nessie's and I hopped down from the Land Rover. Scar was sitting on the porch, looking through a car magazine. I walked up and sat down next to him. He was an attractive boy and I could see why Ava would like him, but from all indications, they were just friends. She told me he'd had his own traumatic experience he was getting through and he was good for her, kept her honest.

"Scar," I said as he looked at me with a questioning look. "We have family coming in from Oklahoma for Christmas. They'll be here the day before Christmas Eve just until New Year's Eve. But I was wondering, we always have a big dinner on Christmas, I wondered if you might want to join us."

He looked uncertain. "I don't want to impose," he lowered his head. I didn't want Scar to think this was charity or pity, I just knew that he was a great friend to Ava and I wanted to somehow repay him for helping to put her back on the right track.

"You wouldn't be. I invited you. Seth'll be there, and Sue and Leah. Plus you'll get to meet all our crazy cousins," I chuckled.

Seth smiled and put his arm around me. "What were your plans, Scar?" he asked.

Scar shrugged. "Didn't really have any, I guess. Ness invited me over here." He looked like he was thinking.

"I'll talk to Ness. It'll be fine," Seth told him.

"We have dinner early, like four. It's the least I can do, you keep Ava out of trouble," I said.

"Okay. I'll be there. Should I bring anything?"

"Just you. And earplugs," I laughed.

"Earplugs?" Seth and Scar asked at the same time.

"Yeah. Our family can get loud. There's the three of us O'Briens, then my Aunt Tess and her kids, Noah and Ginger. Then Aunt Shannon and her kids, Chloe and Vanessa. And GamGam Gallagher."

"GamGam Gallagher?" Seth asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, my Mom's Mom. She'll love you, Seth," I smiled at him and he was quick to grab my hand and pull it to his lips. "Her grandparents claimed land in the Oklahoma land run. She always tells us we have the blood of strong pioneer women running in our veins, mixed with a little hard work and love, and we can do anything."

"I know you can do anything. That's one of the many reasons I love you so much," Seth said as my eyes started to water.

"I love you too," I kissed him as he helped me up, holding my medical kit which had stayed in the car overnight and we walked into the almost empty house.

Ness waddled from the doorway of her studio, pulling me into a hug. "Thank you for everything last night, for taking care of the wolf. We were all so worried," it was funny to see a grown woman on the verge of tears over a wolf. But I knew how she felt, I often did that, cry over an animal. It'd gotten so bad sometimes that I couldn't watch Animal Planet for fear there might be a show where something horrible happened. So I hugged her back, as much as I could with her swollen belly in the way.

"It was no big deal. Is he feeling better today?" I asked as she pulled my hand and took me out of the backdoor towards the locker room that for some reason had an outside access. The wolf was awake but was still lying on his side. Ness backed out of the room, saying Jake didn't want her in here no matter what, leaving me alone with the wolf. "Good to see you awake," I smiled at him, petting his head. He nuzzled into my hand almost like he was thanking me. "You're very welcome. You had everyone worried though. How's the bandage?"

I got set to removing them as Seth walked in. "Want some help?" I nodded and he immediately helped lift the wolf up so I could remove the bandages.

I drew in a sharp breath. "Looks good. Looks really good actually. I wouldn't expect it to be this healed for at least a few more days," I looked at the stitches. "He should be good as new in a few days. Can you help me wrap him in fresh guaze?" I asked Seth who was watching me intently. He helped me rewrap the wolf then we both washed our hands. Seth pulled me into his arms.

"You're truly an amazing veterinarian, Abby," he whispered.

"Thank you," I said to him. "Everything I learned, I got from my Dad. Sometimes I wonder…"

Seth twirled me to face him. "You don't have to think or wonder. He would be proud of you, so proud of you." He knew my question before I could even get it out. "I like to think that our Dads are probably together somewhere having a beer and laughing at us." He laughed and I joined him. "I love you," he kissed my forehead.

"I love you too, Seth," I don't think I could ever get tired of hearing him say it or saying it back. We stood together with our arms wrapped around each other.

We stayed like that for a few minutes until Leah popped her head in. "Hey, just wanted to let you guys know Ava picked Ashley up this morning. I hope that was okay."

"Of course, thanks for watching her, Leah," I said. Leah was intimidatingly beautiful, not to mention smart, headstrong, determined, etc. I was mildly to moderately scared of her.

"No problem. She's a cute kid and we made cookies," Leah's eyes met Seth's. "I hear we're coming over to your house for a bit for Christmas?"

I nodded. "If you want. I would love to have you there."

She kept her eyes on Seth. "Sure."

I couldn't help but want to jump up and down. I didn't though, I kept cool. "Thank you, I'm so glad you'll be there with us."

"Yeah, it should be fun," Leah smiled. She turned her attention to me. "Thank you for helping out with the wolf. Jake said you were something to watch and you even had Seth under your thumb last night."

"I'm glad I could help. I think he's going to be fine," I gave the wolf one last pet.

"Do you need me to bring anything for dinner?"

"Nope, we got it covered. My family will be there, Tess is bringing desserts and my Uncle Joe smokes turkeys," I tried not to sound too excited but I was anxious for them to meet Seth. I knew they would love him.

"Okay, well, I'm off to see Rebecca," Leah sighed. Seth let out a small growl.

"Who's Rebecca?" I asked.

"Jake's shrew of a sister," Seth growled.

"Be nice, little brother," Leah scolded. "Just because she grabbed your crotch and tried to give you a free lap dance."

"Really? When was this?" I was more than a little possessive of Seth. While I knew that he'd had previous relationships and that he'd slept with other women, I wanted to be okay with all that, but I didn't like the idea of someone else touching him like that.

"A long time ago, like two years ago. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about," Leah answered.

We made final plans and Leah left. I was intrigued about the family dynamics of the La Push guys. I had met Rachel and she was wonderful! I loved Jake and his Dad, Mr. Black. I couldn't imagine a bad seed from that family tree.

Seth took me home. He spent the entire afternoon with the three of us, plus Sadie, helping to decorate the house. He helped us with the Christmas tree and the stockings. Ashley pulled on my sleeve as Seth hung the last one up. I leaned down to her. "Can we get Dr. Seth one?" she asked in a whisper. "I think since you guys are going to get married that he should have a stocking."

"Sweets, no one said we were going to get married, but we'll get him a stocking too, if you want," I told her as she hugged me.

"I missed you this morning. But Auntie Leah said I can come see her in Sleetal sometime," Ashley grinned wide.

"You mean Seattle?"

"Yep, and she told me to call her Auntie Leah. I didn't even ask," she looked at Seth who smiled back. "Will you put Christmas lights on the house? Husbands and Daddies always put Christmas lights up."

My eyes got wide. "I'm sorry," I said to Seth as he shrugged.

"I'll stop at the hardware store tomorrow and pick some up," he said moving towards me. "Am I staying here tonight?" he whispered and I nodded.

"If you don't mind," I turned so he could hold me in his arms. I could see Ashley grinning and Ava watching us, curiosity all over her face. "I'm sorry about Ashley. I don't know why she keeps saying we're getting married."

"Maybe because she knows someday we might be," Seth's voice was low.

"You'd want to marry me?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Not like tomorrow, but someday, yeah." I thought about a life with Seth and couldn't help but smile. I loved sleeping in his arms and being near him. I could handle that for forever. "You guys put up your decorations early."

"Sorry, it's just a habit. We always did that in Oklahoma," I blushed.

"It's nice," he kissed me.

The next day Seth and I made another trip to La Push so I could check on the wolf. I knew something wasn't right when Luka met us at the door of the locker room. "Abby," he sighed.

"Hey, Luka. Can I scoot in and take a look at the wolf?" I asked with a smile.

"He's not here. I tried to call, the wolf escaped this morning," Jake said from behind me. I whirled around to face him.

"You let him go?!" I was furious and about five seconds from slapping Jacob Black across the face. "You let an injured wolf leave?" This was not good, this was bad, very bad. The wolf was healing, yes, but he was nowhere near completely healed and now he would be wandering the forest with no one to care for him.

"Seth, can you take a look at Luka? He's hurt his side," Jake asked in an authoritive way and Seth nodded, taking Luka and sitting him on the bench where the wolf had been. He was gone, that big wolf, and I couldn't help it. The tears just started to flow.

"Hey," Seth grabbed my hand. "Don't cry, you did a great job."

"But he's out there and he might not be healed and…" I sobbed.

"Abby, I'm pretty sure he's okay. You did do a really good job and I heard you calmed him down a lot," Luke said hopping up on the table. That didn't help my emotions though.

Seth pulled me to him and let me cry in his chest, rubbing my back and resting his chin on my head. "Please let him be okay," I whispered.

"He will be, Bee," he kissed my forehead.

I watched as Seth snipped something from Luka's wound and then wrapped his ribs. I couldn't shake off the sadness of the wolf being gone. This had definitely ruined my high but at least, right now, I had the promise of Christmas, my family, Seth, and really good La Push friends to help me get through it all.


	12. Horrible, Dumb, Absurd, Sexy

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters kinda belong to me.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. I'm loving writing in her universe and she's an amazing friend! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World." She is extraordinarily talented and you won't be disappointed.**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at ****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. There are pictures of Abby's family, her Aunts, Uncles, and cousins that appear in this chapter! **

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 17 of Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**, to find out where exactly it is that Seth goes during Christmas.**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock!**

**Also, please check out a story I'm co-writing with KupKakes09 called _Bastard Child, Lonely Wolf. _It's an Embry story and I promise you'll love it!**

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**CHAPTER 11: HORRIBLE, DUMB, ABSURD, SEXY**

**SETH'S POV**

Time flew quickly around the holiday season and before I knew it, it was the night before Christmas Eve and Abby's family was arriving from all over. We drove to Seattle to pick everyone up. She'd been going over each family member with me and telling me their stories. Chloe and Pete lived in Oklahoma City, well outside Oklahoma City. Pete had been in a band called Crooked Oak. They were kinda one-hit-wonders but from what Abby said, Pete was a talented songwriter so he managed to make a lot of money through that outlet, enough money that he and Chloe opened and ran a recording studio in their house

Ava was following us, driving Abby's car with Ashley and Tess and Rob brought up the rear in their car. The rest of the family arriving was Abby's Aunt Shannon, Uncle Joe, GamGam Gallagher, Chloe's sister Vanessa, and her husband, Sean. Shannon and Joe were eccentric, Shannon owning her own pottery painting shop, and Joe, a writer for an alternative weekly newsmagazine in Oklahoma City. Apparently, Vanessa was quiet the scandal in the family though. She moved to New York City about a year ago with dreams of being a principal cellist but instead met an older orchestra conductor. The more scandalous part of their coupleship being that she was fired from her job in a little known orchestra for sleeping with him and off to Oklahoma they went.

My thoughts drifted as my hand sat on my beautiful imprint's thigh. She had been bouncing her knee but stopped as soon as I touched her. Since we had started saying "I love you" neither one of us could stop telling the other that we loved one another. And now, just like I had been everytime we were driving in the car, I leaned over to place a small kiss on her cheek, leaning up to her ear. "I love you," I whispered.

Her smile grew as she turned to me. "I love you too," she replied and kissed my lips.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I asked and watched her nod at me. "I'm a little nervous about meeting your family."

She giggled. "Why? Trust me, they'll love you. The only one that you ever have to worry about is my god-awful Aunt Lydia, and, if we're all incredibly lucky you will never have to meet her."

I didn't know how to take what she just said. "Does that mean you don't want to keep me around?"

She giggled again. "Of course I want to keep you around. I just meant if we're lucky she'll keep her snobby ass in Miami and we'll never see her. But don't be nervous about this part of my family. They may be big and loud but where do you think I learned to love so deeply?" _God, I love this woman._

We pulled into the parking garage, the caravan of cars and then walked to the baggage area.

"Ooh, there's Chloe!" Abby bounced up and down when we were in the arrival hall, waving frantically. It was a funny side of Abby I hadn't seen before. "Chloe!"

Chloe dropped her carry-on bag and did her own little jumping dance before running full-force to Abby. "Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God!" Chloe squealed. They hugged each other but didn't stop the hopping and I watched a man pick up Chloe's bag with a smile on his face before walking to me.

"I'm Pete. You must be Seth," the man said, holding his bags to the side and shaking my hand. "You get used to their sudden reversion to their teenage years."

"Chloe, I want you to meet someone," Abby said and I felt myself straighten up. "This is my boyfriend, Seth. Seth, this is my most favorite cousin, Chloe."

"Nice to meet you, Chloe," I said putting my hand out to shake.

Chloe put her arms around me instead and whispered in my ear. "Thank you for making Abby smile again." I nodded and she pulled away. "So you are the magnificent Dr. Clearwater?"

"Well, I don't know that I'd use the adjective magnificent. I tend to go with dashing, debonair, something like that," I smirked.

"Oh yeah, you and I are going to be great friends," Pete chuckled. "Shannon and Joe were right behind us. Chloe was a little anxious to get down here."

"Well can you blame me? It's been like what, five months since I last saw Abby and a lot has happened in that time," Chloe said pointing to me.

A middle-aged woman and man walked towards us, with an elderly lady between them. "Vanessa and Sean had a final production of _The Nutcracker_ to do so they had to take a later flight," the woman said eyeing me carefully. "Seth?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Seth Clearwater," I introduced myself.

"I'm Shannon Brighton, this is my husband, Joe, and this is my mother, Patsy," Shannon said introducing everyone.

"You're a doctor, huh?" the older woman said, there was no doubt she was Abby's grandmother.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered with a smile.

"Oh, no, none of this ma'am stuff. That's what I used to call my mother-in-law and she was mean heartless cruel bitch. I hope that I'm none of those things. You call me GamGam," she said. _Who could defy that? _I grabbed most of the luggage. "What do they put in the water here in Washington? All these strong tanned boys!" GamGam exclaimed.

We walked to the cars together, Chloe and Pete riding with us. Abby jumped into the backset with Chloe after giving me a quick but deep kiss. I didn't mind, Pete and I made small talk mostly about our jobs and I listened to Abby talk to Chloe about how we met, our dates, our future. I especially listened in when the conversation turned to sex. If we were doing it, if not, when exactly would we and where. It was interesting but I didn't learn anymore than I didn't know before. WE would do it when we were ready.

I was relieved to learn that everyone was sleeping at Tess's, otherwise how was I going to spend the nights with Abby if her house was crawling with people. It was late when we pulled into Forks and we dropped off the family at Tess's. I slept at Abby's that night and woke up to a scrumptious pancake breakfast courtesy of Chloe, Abby, Ava, and the new arrival, Vanessa. Vanessa was light on her feet like a dancer in the kitchen and every move she made seemed choreographed

As I watched them, a little voice brought me out of my trance. "Seth, will you read _The Night Before Christmas_ tonight, before I go to bed?" Ashley asked, fumbling with an old beat up book. "My…my Daddy used to read it out loud to us every Christmas Eve and I wondered if you would do it." She pushed the book into my hands and I stared at it.

"It was our Grandfather's, and his Father's before. Dad read it to us before we would go to bed," Ava said over my shoulder. I looked at the intricate drawings in the book and wondered the many journeys the book had taken and wondered if one day I would hold my own children on my lap while Abby helped set out cookies for Santa and I read to the kids before we put them to bed. I don't know if it was the imprint, but seeing a life with Abby and seeing children with Abby wasn't that difficult.

I left mid-afternoon to go back to La Push to pack my bag and collect my presents for the family. I got Ashley an American Girl doll, Ava a gift card to Williams-Sonoma to indulge her culinary side in Seattle, but Abby's were more personal. I had watched every wolf give his imprint an imprint bracelet, all the same but different in their own ways. That was my gift for her, a sterling silver charm bracelet with a silver wolf and a silver paw print hanging from it. But I thought of something else when I was packing my bag. I wasn't expecting anything I just wanted to be ready if the moment came, so I picked up my 24 pack of condoms and threw them in my bag.

I got to her house about 8, in time to read to _The Night Before Christmas_. I gave the O'Briens their gifts, all but Abby's and then tucked Ashley in with Sadie by her side. I helped Abby set up Santa's presents for her sisters, a new TV for Ava's bedroom, a new dress-up set for Ashley.

"Thank you for helping me," Abby said as she took my hand and led me up the stairs. "Last year I had Uncle Rob, but I liked doing this with you." We walked into her bedroom and I gently pushed her against the wall and let my lips attack hers. She was always so soft and warm and comforting.

"I love you," I whispered to her.

"I love you, too," she said back. "And I think you should crawl into that bed and when I come out, I think…" she didn't finish her sentence but I knew what she was indicating. It was time. I watched her head into the bathroom as I pulled down the comforter and stripped down to only my boxers and almost jumped into the bed, setting my bag to the side. This was actually going to happen.

**ABBY'S POV**

I sat on the edge of the tub and looked at the open box opposite me. Chloe's Christmas present that she'd managed to slip to me when everyone was here earlier with a note that read "Knock him dead! Love ya, Chloe." Only Chloe would think the appropriate way to celebrate the birth of Christ involved lingerie. It really was beautiful though, a black animal printed sheer chemise with a matching thong. And it scared the hell out of me, shit, the thong alone had caused me to hyperventilate the first time I saw it. But it didn't matter. I ran my hand over the fabric before taking a deep breath and gaining just a little confidence, sliding on Chloe's Christmas gift.

Seth sat up straighter in the bed and swallowed hard. "You look…"

"Horrible, dumb, absurd?" I asked.

"I was gonna say incredibly sexy," he smirked at me and patted the other side of my bed. "Care to join me?"

I nodded and tiptoed my way to the bed. Tonight was different. I knew, and I think he knew too, tonight would be pivotal for us.

"I think this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen you wear," he half-whispered, pulling me to him. I melted into his side, holding on tight and trying to steady my breathing.

I looked up at him as he flipped off the lamp and I started wishing I could stare into his beautiful eyes. "I love you, Seth," I whispered, running my finger over his brow and placing a kiss on his lips.

"And I love you," he breathed, leaning into kiss me again, this time a little more passionately. Seth laid me back, scooting down more and sitting up on his knees. I couldn't see anything, the room was entirely dark and I was a bit happy for that, especially when I felt Seth move his hands up my legs, stopping between them and rubbing the sensitive area. Even through my thong, it was a turn on and the sensation was nothing I'd ever felt before.

"Ugh," I groaned. "We have—have to be quiet."

"I don't wanna hurt you," Seth said, grabbing my hips and pulling me to lay flatter on the bed. "So I'm gonna, I need to, um, get you ready."

"Okay," I whimpered. His hands were still on my hips as he grabbed the hem of my thong and pulled it down, then off.

"Can I take this off?" he asked before tugging on to the fabric of the chemise while his other hand went back between my legs.

"Yes," I said, willing anything that might feel as good as what he was doing slowly between my legs. He sped up and I felt myself grip the sheets and bring my knees up, my feet flat on the bed.

Seth leaned down to kiss me while he kept at work, single-handedly taking off the last piece of clothing I had on. The kiss was deeper this time and I could feel Seth's excitement on my inner thigh. "Just relax," he said as he moved the kiss to my neck and slightly sucked below my ear. That distracted me enough that I wasn't focused on the fact that his fingers had slipped farther down. That is, until I felt one push into my entrance.

"Oh!" I whimpered at the pressure and the slight pain.

"I'm sorry," Seth said. "I really don't want to hurt you. Maybe we should stop."I felt him start to pull away as I grabbed him.

"But I wanna do this, Seth, with you. I'll be okay, just go slow," I wrapped my arms around him tighter, kissing again and then slipping one hand inside his boxers. I knew he was big, I could sense it when he was against me and I'd seen it with my own eyes. But feeling him like this was different. He wasn't soft, he was ready and that scared me even more as my heart sped up.

"Deep breaths, Abby," Seth gasped as I stroked him a few times then pushed his boxers off all the way. "Don't be scared, okay? I don't want you to be scared."

I lied. "I'm not. I'm perfectly fine."

Seth kissed my collarbone, then down the middle of my chest, moving to the right and licking on my breast before coming to my nipple. He stopped, pulled back and then took my nipple is in mouth almost instantly causing my back to arch. He repeated the action on the left breast before kissing down my stomach and stopping below my belly button.

"Wait just a second," he pulled away, grabbing something out of his bag. I listened as he tore open whatever it was and then heard him grunt a little. _Condom_, I thought to myself. At least he was prepared for this. I sighed as I heard a small snap and Seth returned to his position between my legs. "I need you, Bee," he growled. His fingers returned to their original position between my legs and I felt him push my legs farther apart.

"You have me," I whispered in his ear as he kissed me, placing his arms on either side of my head and then moving the sucking action to the right side of my neck only this time harder than before.

"I love you so much, Abby. Can you feel what you do to me?" Seth groaned. I got even wetter as he pushed my legs further apart and lined himself up at my entrance. "Ready?" I placed it on the back of his neck as he started to suck on my neck again.

"Yes," I started to whimper but he was already pushing in slowly. "Oh God."

Seth took his mouth from my neck and whispered in my ear. "I'm sorry I'm hurting you but it will be over soon. And then I'll make you feel better."

I nodded, he was still pushing into me. "I trust you, Seth," I whispered, trying hard to ignore the fact that I felt like I was being torn in half. I knew he was big and where he had implanted his self was not but I wanted this, I really wanted to share this with him. It was the last part of me that I'd never shared with anyone.

"I love when you say my name," he whispered in my ear as I gripped his neck harder. I felt him pull out of me then push in again this time with more force than before and he slid in further as I felt my body give way and felt the worst tearing sensation yet.

"Seth!" I moaned a little louder than I should have but the pain was worse than I expected and I felt my legs, which had been bent at the knees, give way and fall completely.

"The hard part's over," he whispered returning to my neck then back to my ear. "I'm so sorry. I want to make you feel good. I want you to feel what I'm feeling because you feel so warm and wonderful." His soft voice put me a little at ease.

"I love you," I whimpered.

"I love you more than I've ever loved any woman on the planet and I intend to love you for a very long time." I whimpered and closed my eyes as he pulled out and pushed in, pulled out and pushed in, each time the pain still there. I swallowed hard as Seth found a steady in-out rhythm. "It's never felt…this...shit…"

I closed my eyes tighter, taking a deep breath. "Kiss me," I ordered forcefully, finally tuning in on his movements and raising my knees up again. His lips met mine just as I raised my leg higher to wrap it around his hip, and then I felt it. "There, Seth, there." It started as a tightening below my belly button, like a fire and it spread through my body. His temperature seemed warmer as he kept his body on top of me. His lips moved to my neck again as he started sucking in the spot he'd previous claimed. And the fire in my abdomen that was now in my chest shot through me and my body shuddered, my walls clenching down. "Ooohhh…Seth…" My first official orgasm.

"I love that I'm the only one who's done this with you," his words were harder and I knew he was probably close behind me. My thoughts were interrupted as the fire started again. "Stay with me, Abby. You're beautiful when you release, you're always so fucking beautiful."

"Shit," I whimpered arching my back into him again and holding onto his hair for dear life.

"Fuck, Abigail," he pounded into me with more force and grabbed the headboard. "Control yourself," he whispered harshly. I didn't know if he was talking to me and I started to ask but he grunted. Hard. And his hands clenched the sheets beside my head. "Fuck, fuck, fuck…" And I swear I heard a growl come from his chest. His breathing slowed just as my walls let down their final clench and I moaned into his neck.

We laid there for a few moments, Seth softening inside me while we both tried to catch our breath. I ran my hands down Seth's back, and I giggled, thinking about him growling.

"What's so funny?" he asked playfully.

"Did you growl right before you, uh-humed?" I asked as he chuckled.

"Maybe," Seth's lips met mine and I felt him slide out of me, rolling to the side but pulling me with him. "Was I worth the wait?" he whispered softly as my eyes drooped from the exhaustion of Christmas Eve, family drama, and now sex. I could hear a softness in his voice, the comforting kind that I loved so much and a vulnerability that was endearing.

"Definitely," I whispered back to him. "I love you."

"I love you, Bee," he said giving my forehead a kiss as we fell asleep wrapped up in each other.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of someone trying to get in the door. It startled me, the old door knob squeaking as someone turned it. _Shit_. I knew it was Ashley, here for our morning routine and started to sit up only to be pulled down by Seth. "Too early," he groaned.

"Why can't I get the door open?" Ashley asked.

"Oh, you know, I bet Abby's just really tired. We should probably wait in your room for her," Ava said.

"But Santa came, I heard him and I want to see what he brought me. Please, oh please, oh please?" she begged and I thought it was probably a good idea I put something other than the lingerie from last night on.

I started to sit up again, but this time it wasn't Seth's arms that pulled me down, it was a dull pain, a soreness between my legs that I hadn't felt before. I took a deep breath, steadying myself and scooted off the bed. Exhibit A of my loss of virginity: a bright red blood spot against the white sheets. That was not going to come out easily. Then Exhibit B: the used condom, lying on the sheets next to a damp spot. I picked it up as I scooted off the bed, taking the sheet with me and covering Seth with the comforter. If the soreness had been there when I sat up, it was worse when my feet hit the floor and I had to actually walk. I looked back, Seth sleeping with a smile on his lips. _It was well worth the pain._

After I changed into a set of fresh pajamas, appropriate for Santa Clause reveals, and walked out of the bathroom. Seth was sitting up in bed, just like the night before. "Hello, beautiful," he grinned and I couldn't help but follow suit. "Ash ready for presents?"

"I think so. She tried to come in but Ava stopped her," I said standing awkwardly across from him.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, sincerely. "Because you're walking kinda funny."

I nodded. "Just a little sore."

Seth pulled me onto the bed to sit with him. "I'm sorry I hurt you," he kissed my hair and inhaled. "After presents, you should take a hot bath and let your muscles relax. I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"Hey," I looked into his eyes. "Last night was more than I could've ever hoped for, Seth. I don't care that it hurts a little right now. You and I, we were one and that's worth any kind of pain I might be feeling now."

He kissed me lightly. "I just love you so much and I don't want you to ever regret being with me."

I shook my head at him and kissed him, this time harder. "I won't ever, ever regret being with you. You made me feel complete, and in all honesty," I blushed. "I can't wait to do it again."

Seth kissed my forehead. "I want to give you a present." He reached down into his bag. "We have this tradition in our tribe that we get our other halves these bracelets. And since I see you as my other half," he pulled out a red velvet box and turning it to me, the light shimmering off the wolf charm and the paw print. "I thought it was perfect for you," he whispered.

"Thank you, Seth," I said as tears filled my eyes. "I love it."

"Hey, no crying," he leaned into me. "Now, let's go see what Santa brought, but I already know I got the best present this Christmas."

I blushed and kissed him again before leaving my room. "You had sex last night," Ava smirked, being quiet enough that Ashley couldn't hear her.

"Shush," I put my finger over my lips and shook my head.

"What? You did. You're walking funny and I could hear you," she giggled. _"Oh, Seth!"_

"Shut up!" I blushed as Seth turned around.

"Did you need something Ava?" he asked

"Nope, just to thank you for taking care of Abby last night," she winked. I was about one step away from pushing my own sister down the stairs. Seth played it off, pretending he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Abby! Your neck! Oh, it looks like that vampire movie I watched on Disney!" Ashley yelled covering her mouth. I ran to the nearest mirror turning my head to one side to see the biggest purplish-reddish mark in the history of hickeys on the side of my neck.

"SETH!" I groaned loudly as he sauntered in.

"Wh—oh," he looked down ashamed.

"What the hell did you do to my neck?" I asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I just, I guess I didn't realize what I was doing," Seth was clearly remorseful but as he pulled me into a hug and placed a soft kiss on the spot on my neck. "Please don't be mad. It was just an instinct."

I turned in his arms. "It's fine. Just don't think this can become something you do everytime we make love." I saw a glimmer of something in Seth's eyes as he grinned the bright Dr. Sexy grin.

We spent the day exchanging gifts and getting ready for Christmas dinner, knowing that my family would be here and Seth's. It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas even if I did feel a constant throbbing between my legs. Just as the sun began to set on Christmas we sat down to eat dinner. The food was passed around as Seth kept his hand on my thigh. Our extracurricular activity from the night before forced me to dress in a black sweater with a sagging green scarf to cover my neck.

Midway through dinner the doorbell rang through the air and I turned to look at Tess and Shannon. Everyone was here, everyone. I couldn't for the life of me think who would be here. I got up out of my seat as gently as possible and tried not to wince as I felt my body stretch a little. The minute I got to the door and heard the conversation going on the other side, I guessed who it was.

"Damn," I groaned.

"Who is it?" Seth asked, wrapping me in my arms from behind. I didn't answer him, hoping that if we just stood here, they'd go away. "I'll get it." Seth reached for the doorknob and opened it.

"I'm sorry, we must have the wrong house. We're were looking for the O'Briens" my cousin, Raul, said.

"No, you're at the right house. I'm Seth," Seth held his hand out to shake. Raul took it, he wasn't the problem. His wife, Blanca, also not the problem. His dad, Sal, not bad either. But the next person in the doorway, she was the problem.

"And just who the hell are you?" her voice dripped with bitchiness. She wore a real fur coat, black stilettos and a tight red dress.

"He's my boyfriend, Aunt Lydia. And why are you wearing real fur? I bit out.

"Please don't start with me. We had a long trip from Miami and this town is positively freezing. What did you expect?" she eyed Seth with total disdain. "Aren't you going to invite us in?"

I stepped back and opened the door wider as Aunt Lydia sauntered in, her family close behind.

"Hola, mi sobrina," Uncle Sal said pulling me into his arms for a hug.

"Hi, Uncle Sal," I smiled as he started to rock me back and forth. "Obviously, you aunt deed not call like she said."

"Lydia, nice to see you," Aunt Tess faked a smile as she walked my way.

"Yeah, same to you," she flung her coat on the couch.

"What is she doing here?" Tess asked.

"No idea," I spoke through my teeth. This was totally, utterly ruining my happy moment. "Why don't you guys go ahead and come have a seat, we were still having dinner."

Uncle Sal and Raul came in behind Lydia, introducing themselves to Seth, as well as Raul's wife, Blanca. Seth was the epitome of manners, making a bit of small talk and keeping his suave demeanor, being every bit Dr. Sexy. Once everyone had a seat, Seth put his hand back on my thigh, keeping me calm. But leave it to Aunt Lydia to break that by sitting on the other side of me. "What the hell is on your neck?" she screamed, pulling my scarf down. "Please tell me that is not a hickey? Seriously?"

"Aunt Lydia, please," I blushed, trying my hardest to pull the scarf back up.

"Like common street trash, Abby? Your father would be so disappointed," Lydia shook her head at me.

"Lydia, now is really not the time," Shannon said as they started passing around the food.

"No, my brother, God rest his soul, would be ashamed of how she's apparently been keeping on. Don't think I don't see that Indian boy's hand on your thigh," she spat out causing Seth to pull his hand away. "There're a lot of things I knew you were, but a whore was not one of them."

I couldn't help it then, I don't know if it was the insecurity of knowing I had sex the night before or the fact that for once, all the good things I had been feeling were being dashed away by Cruela De Ville who had been here a total of maybe twenty minutes, the tears started. I could see Sue and Leah, too, looking at me from the corner of my eye. I know they must have thought I was trash too. "Lydia, your brother would be more than proud of Abigail, as would Maddie," GamGam Gallagher spoke up.

"Why? Because she dragged my nieces halfway across the country because she couldn't control Ava, and now she's doing the same things she brought Ava here for?" she didn't miss a beat, putting mashed potatoes on her plate.

My tears came faster and I stood to leave but Seth grabbed my hand. "Ma'am, I can promise you my intentions for your niece are nothing but honorable. I love her very much and I would never dream of doing anything to ruin her reputation or her family." He took my hand to his lips and kissed it while Aunt Lydia stared. No one said anything for a bit, though Leah's smile was her approval of what he said, and I was happy for that.

"Whatever. Pass the ham," Lydia said, pointing.

It was as we finished opening presents and started our goodbyes that Seth's phone rang. It was the first time his touch left me and it made me a little anxious as he looked down. "I gotta take this," he kissed my cheek and headed to the kitchen for a whispered conversation only to return almost immediately. He leaned down, his warm breath on my neck. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I have an emergency," he kissed my jaw.

"Okay," I tried not to sound disappointed but I was. I needed him here with me.

"I'll be back later though, okay? I'll be here to keep you warm tonight," he gave me one last kiss, this time on the lips before leaving me with only Aunt Lydia's family and Aunt Tess's family. Not less than two minutes after his departure, Lydia started in again.

"Nothin' but reservation trash," Lydia said, sipping on her Christmas Cosmo. "You sure do know how to pick them."

She took another sip. "Maybe you should stay at a hotel, Aunt Lydia," I told her.

"And **why**is that?"

"Because I don't think you're welcome in my home," I said. "Seth is a good man, Aunt Lydia. A doctor and a leader on the reservation, so I resent you saying anything negative about him. You don't know him, and quite honestly, it appears you don't know me either."

Raul chuckled. "He is a wonderful man, Lydia," Uncle Rob said as he helped Tess put her coat on.

"You know, maybe I should take Ashley back with me because I can't sit here and let that poor innocent little girl be raised like this," Aunt Lydia rebutted.

"Like what, Lydia? What am I doing that's so bad?" I asked.

She scoffed at me. "First off, this seems to be a house of lust. You and that Indian boy and Ava and that other Indian boy. Like I don't know what's going on. Let me ask you this, how many times has my niece walked in on your hump sessions?"

"First off, I believe they are Native American, and second off, if I were having sex in this house, which is none of your freakin' business, Ashley would have no clue," I had to stop myself from getting in her face.

"Well, let me tell you now, this discussion is not over," Aunt Lydia gathered up her stuff. "Let's go, Sal." Uncle Sal followed her like a little lost puppy, Blanca fast behind him and lastly Raul.

"She's just talking, Abbs. You know she won't take her from you," he said before giving me a quick hug and taking the last place in the car. Aunt Tess and Uncle Rob left next.

"You know I won't let her, right? I mean, family laws not my specialty but I'll find someone that'll step in. You're gonna be fine," Uncle Rob kissed my cheek and I stood as I watched them drive away.

I was alone now, in this big house. Ava had gone over to Claire's with Scar, Ashley was with Aunt Shannon and GamGam Gallagher at Aunt Tess's, and I was here. Completely alone. And it sucked. I looked at my watch, trying to figure out how long Seth had been gone. I picked up my phone, calling Seth's cell with no answer, then calling his house, no answer. I started to wonder if it would be too much like a stalker to call Sue. I decided against it before turning off the lights and walking up the stairs, taking care of my evening routine, and slipping into Chloe's second gift of a black silky nightgown. I picked up the phone again, dialing each number. Nothing. I lay in the bed as the tears started, and I sobbed into the pillow. I had been crying a lot lately, but I couldn't help it. My sisters and Seth were my life. More than my job or anything, they were my family. I couldn't lose any one part of that, and I lay in my bed, waiting and wishing Seth were here with me to make it all better.


	13. Starting the New Year Off with a Bang

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters kinda belong to me.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. I'm loving writing in her universe and she's an amazing friend! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World." She is extraordinarily talented and you won't be disappointed.**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. There are pictures of Abby's and clothes, including Abby's New Year's dress.**

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 17 of Ninadoll's**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. It is my favorite chapter of the story so far and we get to meet a new character!**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock!**

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**CHAPTER 12: STARTING THE NEW YEAR OFF WITH A BANG!**

**SETH'S POV**

Abby's hand wrapped tighter around mine as we drove to La Push, and she looked off into the woods as I drove. Her beautiful hair was up in a bun and the silver dress fit her body perfectly. She was thinking, hard, and using her other hand to play with the chunky silver pearls around her neck. "What's going through that pretty little head of yours?" I asked.

Abby turned and smiled at me as I squeezed her thigh slightly. "Nothing, just trying to figure out why you got me all dolled up to go to dinner at the cabin."

"Just because it's dinner at home doesn't mean it shouldn't be special," I winked. I actually had very big plans for this evening and I didn't want to give a single hint that something might not be what she thought it was. I was thankful that Ava was in on the plan and kept Abby from suspecting anything.

"Yeah, well, anytime with you is special, Seth. I don't need fancy dresses and dinners to know that. You and me together, is special enough," she said, placing her hand gently on my thigh. I kissed her cheek and kept driving.

Alice had it arranged that everyone would park at the Tribal Center and then be shuttled to the cabin so nothing would tip Abby off. The house was surrounded in twinkling lights, each tree branch wrapped in lights, and I briefly caught a blush on my imprint's face. "Do you like it?" I asked.

"It's beautiful," she beamed.

"Happy New Year and an early Happy Birthday," I whispered, pulling the car into the driveway and opening the garage door and thinking back on the planning of this special night.

"_Hey Seth," Nessie said with her feet up on the couch and a giant book in her hands. _

"_Whatcha reading Ness?" I smiled to her._

"_What to Expect the First Year," she answered, resting her hand on her swollen belly. _

"_Is Jake here? I kinda needed to ask him something," I said shyly._

"_No, he's down at Billy's. Why? Everything okay? How's Abby?"_

_I couldn't help but smile at my imprint's name or blush for that matter. "She's good."_

"_From that blush I'd say she's more than good," Alice said almost hopping from the kitchen with a bowl of fruit for Nessie. "How's Seth this morning?" _

"_Actually, Alice, I'm glad you're here. I have a bit of a favor to ask," I smirked._

_Abby's birthday is January 2__nd__ and I wanted to do something special to celebrate. It worked out well that her family would be through New Years Eve so I set Alice to task planning the best Birthday/New Years party in the history of parties. Alice was more than glad to lend a hand and rattled off ideas to me the moment the word "party" was out of my mouth._

_Nessie giggled. "Thank you for that. She'll be so busy she won't be playing, 'Nessie: Maternity Barbie."_

"_You're welcome," I gave her a quick hug. "So Jake's down the hill?" She nodded and I found my way out._

"_And that should fix it? I'm not gonna have to have you come out next month and replace some other part of the faucet?" Jake said to a gentleman standing in front of him._

"_No, Mr. Black, that should do it," the man answered turning as Jake handed him a check and the man got in his van._

_Jake turned and looked at me before chuckling. "Nice shirt. Since when are you an Oklahoma Sooners fan?"_

_I chuckled back looking down at the long sleeve tee I had on. "Since Abby got it for me for Christmas," I said. "It's her alma mater and she's proud of it. Plus it wins me points with GamGam."_

"_Yeah, like you need them. I've heard those women fawn over you," Jake smirked._

_I grinned back and threw his own expression at him. "Sure, sure."_

"_Billy's gone," Jake said, as we walked into Billy's house. "Did you need him?"_

"_No, actually I was looking for you. I, um, I had something I wanted to talk to you about," I sounded like a nervous teenager in sex ed class trying to figure out how to get the condom on the banana. _

"_Shoot," Jake strode to the refrigerator and pulled out two beers handing me one._

_This was embarrassing for me. I was a doctor and it shouldn't have been. I'd had sex more than few times but imprint sex was always different, or so I had heard and so I had proven over the last two nights. But there was something that I was worried about. "How do you keep control when you and Ness, you know, have sex?"_

_Jake smirked and I muttered a swear word under my breath. "Am I to assume that you and Abby have crossed that bridge?"_

_I rolled my eyes and stomped my foot. "Yeah, we have."_

"_Okay, well, the key to imprint sex and control is practice. It sounds weird but the more you practice, the better you get at controlling your emotions and desires. Our wolf side wants us to claim our imprints everytime but as imprints we don't want to hurt them. Then you gotta remember to breathe and know when enough is enough," Jake smirked again, never a good sign. "Unless she likes it rough, then you have a whole other set of issues to deal with."_

"_I just…we've done it twice, and each time I felt the wolf start to surface, like he was screaming to fuck his mate instead of make love to the woman he loves and adores. I don't want to hurt Abby, Jake," I sighed._

"_Well, you know, sometimes, every once in a while, it feels good to lose control and let the wolf take over. But don't do that until she's in on the secret. You might scare her for life," Jake took a long pause. "You know, it might help if you would man-up and tell her about being a wolf already," Jake swigged his beer and gave me a disapproving look. _

"_I know, I'm just, you know, waiting for the right time is all," I had no idea when that right time might be but when it was here I'd know._

"_I'll give you that but you better tell her soon, Seth," Jake stood up and then patted me on the back. "Congrats though. It sounds like you two are pretty serious."_

"_Yeah, I love her in a way I didn't know was possible," I couldn't help but grin. _

I took Jake's advice and used the next few nights as practice, trying to keep the wolf at bay until it was December 31st and time to party. I secretly hoped Abby wasn't going to kill me when half the town of La Push popped up to surprise her. I walked her up the stairs and helped her out her coat, praying she couldn't see what that dress did to me.

She did though and she bit her bottom lip as she took me in. I could hear her breathing change as she wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned in to kiss my neck. "I love you for always," she whispered, leaning into me.

"I love you forever," I said back almost feeling myself choke up at the realization. In my arms was the most precious gift fate had given me. I'd watched it take away my father, take away Leah's lover, but this, my Abigail, the beautiful, soft, warm, supple woman in my arms was my reward. I pulled her to look at her green eyes sparkle and deepen with the tone of her dress. I just stared, forgetting that in the darkness behind me there were about a hundred of our family and friends. Well, that is until I heard a very loud throat clear, courtesy of Embry.

"What was—" I cut off flipping the light on to display richly decorated tables with crisp white tablecloths topped with silver and white candles and of white roses and silver centerpieces, silverish pearl strands dangling from every light fixture and a bar area with a familiar vampire tending it.

"SURPRISE!" the crowd yelled and Abby nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh, my…" Abby put her hand to her mouth, and looked around taking in everything. "Oh, my…" She turned and looked at me. "Did you…for me?" I nodded and noticed the crowd watching on as Abby looked around. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" I could see that she had the beginning of tears welling in her eyes and she was working hard to keep them from falling. "This is for me?"

"Just for you, my Abigail," I grinned, pulling her into my arms and motioning for some of the others to join us. Nessie and Jake were first, Nessie waddling more than I'd ever seen a pregnant woman waddle and I knew it would be any day that we would meet the newest addition to the pack.

"Happy Birthday, Abby!" Nessie said animatedly pulling my love from my arms to hug her. Jake slapped me on the back. "What do you think?" Ness asked.

"It's amazing! I think it's the best birthday party I've ever had!" Abby smiled widely.

"Yeah, it beats your 16th birthday when Mom and Dad gave you that piece of shit Mercury," Ava scoffed.

Abby looked at her confused. "You're supposed to be at home. With Ash."

"Eh, she's with Aunt Tess," Ava came towards us and Abby pulled her into a huge hug. "You deserve your day, Abbs." And the sisters exchanged kisses on the cheeks before the rest of the guest greeted us. I waved to Emmett as he stood behind the bar, doling out glasses of champagne and watched as the guests started into the food. Light music played in the background and I moved through the crowd that had gathered around Abby to make my way to the bar.

"Looks like someone's gonna be getting more than a New Year's kiss tonight," Emmett teased.

"Aren't you funny?" I smirked.

"What'll you have?" Emmett was playing the part well.

"Jack and Coke," I said and watched Emmett prepare perhaps the best Jack and Coke ever created.

Emmett worked to mix another drink up for me and then handed it to me. "Take this to Abby."

"What is it?"

"It's an appletini," he said while I took a sip of my drink. "But I'm calling it an Alpha-tini." I nearly spit my drink across the room. "And a White Russian is a White Wolf."

I glared at Emmett as he chuckled and I picked up the Alpha-tini putting it in Abby's hand as she sipped. I held her non-drink hand needing to feel her touch when I heard a very familiar voice behind me. "Happy Birthday, Abby," my big sister said and both Abby and I turned around to see her holding hands with a blonde man.

"Thank you, Leah," Abby responded. Abby wasn't shy about hugging and I couldn't help but smile when she put her arms around my sister, again feeling myself choke up a little. "I'm so glad you came."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Leah said and I genuinely believed her. She had a spark in her eyes and her voice had this quality that was new but beyond wonderful. I couldn't help myself, though, and I gave the man who was attached to the hand in hers a look. "Oh!" Leah said, as she and Abby let go of one another. "Um, this is my brother, Seth, and his imp—girlfriend, Abby," she stopped herself from ruining my life and turned to the blonde man. "This is Alex Gilchrist. My boyfriend," she smiled warmer than I'd seen her smile in years.

I furrowed my brow though. "Boyfriend, eh?" I wouldn't see my sister hurt again. It may have been years since the Sam drama but I refused to stand by and watch someone do that to Leah again.

"Yes," Alex said shaking my hand firmly.

"Are you from Seattle?" I asked and pulled Abby closer to me if it were possible but still keeping my view on this Alex fellow.

"I am, yes," Alex said. He must have been used to big parties and such because he was absolutely content to make small talk, though I have to admit I did most of the talking, going over Abby's and my history, our jobs, our lives, etc. And my sister hung on every word Alex said, making me wonder for a minute or two if she had imprinted on him.

"We have a little issue," Quil came up behind me whispering. I nodded and followed him outside where the younger wolves all stood ready to head to the woods.

"What's going on?" I asked. They all looked on edge, more so than usual.

"Scott's little brother just phased," Jake said, starting to loosen his tie. "I'm going to run Nessie home and then take care of it." The younger wolves still looked like they were all about to come out of their skins.

"You'll call me if you need me?" I asked, but thinking _Please don't need me because I have big plans for that practicing we've talked about_.

"Yep," and Jake walked in the house wrapping his arm around Ness and just like that, they were gone.

Abby noticed, too, almost immediately asking where they had gone. Quil was smart to swoop in then taking Ava and Claire home. I pulled Leah aside as Abby said goodbye to her sister.

"You love him, don't you?" I asked, finding it hard not to see all the signs present in just about everything she did tonight.

"Yeah," she sighed. "But please don't make a big deal about this. He's already been harassed by Mom and Charlie and then Billy. The last thing Alex needs is my overprotective little brother threatening him."

I straightened up, pushing my chest out. "Um, I don't think I'm so little, Leah."

She rolled her eyes as Alex walked towards us with a glass of champagne. With all the phasing drama and the Alex and then the small talk, I hadn't realized the midnight hour creeping up. With only three minutes left, I hugged my sister and then sought out my beloved who was standing near one of the large windows, looking out, almost like she was oblivious to the large group of people in my living room. She smiled at me, running her small fingers through my hair. Emmett cleared his throat behind us and handed two glasses of champagne to me. I passed one to Abby, kissing her forehead. Emmett stood in front of us, looking down at his watch and tapping it, I guess trying to hint to me it was close to time.

"Okay, if I can have everyone's attention!" I semi-shouted and waited for everyone to turn to us. "Thank you. I wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight. This has been quite the year for me and, well, I won't lie, most of that has to do with Abigail." I looked over to see her blush. "I love you very much, Bee and I look forward to spending many more New Years with you." The crowd let out an annoying "aww" as I leaned in to kiss Abby's forehead.

"Thank you everyone," Abby said shyly, I knew that was probably all she would say, too afraid to say much else. Luckily, seconds later, the countdown began 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…I scooped Abby up as she wrapped her arms around my neck and shared a long, deep kiss, both of us saying how much we loved the other as the guests shared their own greetings and a recording of "Auld Lang Syne" played through the stereo.

After midnight and the ceremonious welcoming of the New Year, the guests made a mass exodus out of the house. As I said goodbye to the last guest, I thanked each one again while Abby went upstairs for a minute and I shut the door, I felt Abby behind me and turrned. She was clad only in boyshort panties and a tight strapless black bra. I instinctively started to loosen my tie, taking it off and throwing it to the side as I walked quickly to join her. I knew there was no way in hell we were going to make it to the bedroom and I watched her lick her lips as I unbuttoned my shirt then peeled it off. She started her walk towards me, meeting me in the middle of the living room.

"Don't tease me, Abigail," I groaned huskily when she grabbed for my belt.

"I don't plan on any teasing tonight, Dr. Clearwater," she breathed in my ear as she stood on her tiptoes. I helped her push my pants down, kicked my shoes off, and stepped out of my pants that were pooled at my ankles. I was in "horny Seth-mode" and I grabbed the furry blanket from the back of the sofa and threw it on the ground, holding onto Abby and laying her down as gently as possible. My mouth attacked hers. I let my hands roam her body and stopped at her back to unclasp her bra. Her breasts, though I never told her this, were my favorite part of her body, and actually, it was for totally nonsexual reasons. They were just beautiful, like works of art, soft and supple and they fit perfectly in my hands. Then my hands found my second favorite part of her body, located between her legs and I pushed my thumb into it. She grabbed hold of my wife beater and threw it off. "Here?" she asked, a bit incoherently.

"Here," I grunted, getting a fistful of her panties and ripping them off.

"Shit, Seth!" Abby moaned. "I liked those."

I didn't even tell her I'd buy her more, hell, I'd buy her the whole fucking Victoria's Secret store if it meant I got to be between her legs every night. Abby didn't say anything else though. She just grabbed my boxers with tiny hands and shoved them down, grabbing hold of me. "Ugh!" I grunted. "I need to be inside you." I kissed her fast and hard and before I could think I was…inside her, that is. "I love you so much, Abigail. I love you more than I could say or show you," I whispered in her ear as I thrust. This was what I did when we made love. I whispered. I told her how much I loved her, how beautiful she was, how she made me feel. I was a whisperer. Conversely, Abby was a whimperer, and I couldn't get enough of it. I could tell when she was close because her whimpers would get louder and closer together. Tonight was no different.

"Harder, Seth," she moaned again, pulling her legs up around me. Neither one of us was too aware of the fact that we were in the living room of my cabin and I just prayed no one decided to interrupt us. Instead of thrusting harder though, I tried something new. I rolled us so that she was on top. "What are…oh, God…Oh, Seth," she rocked her hips almost involuntarily.

I watched she arched her back and put her hands on my chest, the electricity between us seeming stronger than ever. Abby's whimper sounded like one long moan as I felt her body clench. "God, I love to watch you come," I whispered loudly as her body shivered and her pace picked up for a second. I let my hands roam around her body again but decided to stop and make myself useful at her breasts. I fondled each one gently for only a few minutes before Abby's quickened pace brought me closer to the edge. "Oh, shit, Abby!" I yelled and felt myself getting close. I rolled us again and watched Abby close her eyes while she lay beneath me and I made my thrusts more erratic and rough.

"I love you, Dr. Clearwater," she moaned and that was all it took. I let go and felt the warm liquid spill out of me into her. She bent her leg at my hip and pulled it up to my chest. I instantly felt her tense when she knew what had happened. "Oh, no…we didn't use…dammit!" Abby started to hyperventilate. We'd never had sex without protection, and it really was an accident. I had every intention of putting a condom on but I was so into the moment that I didn't.

"It's okay, sweetheart. We can take care of it with a pill in the morning," I said, reluctantly, thinking of the morning-after pill. I won't lie that I would love to see Abby pregnant with my child. To hold _our_ baby, and that was part of what the imprint was about, right? I knew, though, now was not the time, for either of us.

"So can we do it again?" she whispered this time. I was more than happy to oblige, scooping her up and running up the stairs to the guest bedroom. My bedroom being in the process of remodeling again, even though I'd just finished it. It was too much of a bachelor's bedroom and I was no bachelor. My heart, body, and soul belonged to one Abigail O'Brien.

**ABBY'S POV**

It was the best birthday I'd ever had, and it wasn't even technically my birthday yet. A party that beat out most people's wedding receptions and then making love in the living room and bedroom. We had been at it for most of the night, finally being sated at about 4 in the morning. We didn't sleep long before our phones woke us up. Both of us.

"Hello?" I answered groggily.

"Abigail, it's Aunt Tess. Something's wrong with Ashley," she sounded panicked on the other end.

I shot out of bed as Seth answered his. "Dr. Clearwater," he said. "Okay, I'm on my way."

"Where is she?" I shouted to Aunt Tess.

"In Forks, at the hospital. We told them Seth is her doctor," she said.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked, throwing clothes on as Seth followed suit, grabbing a set of blue scrubs and pulling them on quickly. I, luckily, had started leaving a few clothes here and pulled on jeans and an old long-sleeve OU t-shirt.

"She's in pain. She woke up at like three, holding onto her stomach and screaming. I asked her when it started and she said yesterday but she didn't say anything because she didn't want you to miss your party," Aunt Tess sounded worried and I knew this had to be bad because she wasn't one to shake that easily.

I felt myself tearing up and knew that this was my fault, I had been so selfish. Seth had us out the door and in the car headed to Forks before I could think of a solution. Ashley was crying in the background and I hung up with Aunt Tess to call Ava at Claire's. They agreed to meet us at the hospital just as we pulled into Seth's spot. He grabbed his stethoscope and my hand as we ran in.

"Dr. Clearwater? Why are you here?" the nurse at the front desk asked.

"I have a patient here. Ashley O'Brien?" he said, sounding very official and if my sister weren't on the verge of death, I might have jumped him right there in the lobby.

"She's in the ER right now. We're waiting for her guardian to get here," the nurse said.

"I'm her guardian," I spoke up, pulling out my wallet and just about every insurance card, driver's license, and credit card I could find with my name on to prove who I was.

"Okay," the nurse said looking over it all before handing it back to me. She looked at Seth. "You can go ahead and go back, Dr. Clearwater."

"I'm waiting for Miss O'Brien," he said, putting his arm around me as if to claim me as his, as taken. The nurse took my identification , looking it over carefully. "June, I can vouch for her. She's Ashley's guardian," Seth was getting irritated and I couldn't help but feel nervous.

The nurse glared and handed me back all my stuff. "I'll need to keep this insurance card but I guess I can let you go back. Just follow _Dr. Clearwater_," she said his name with jealousy and then I knew why she was suddenly so meticulous.

Seth took my hand and walked me behind the nurse's station. I wanted to give him the third degree on Nurse Snappy-pants but knew my sister was more important. We stopped outside a curtained area and Seth picked up a chart, looking over it. "Shit," he muttered.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked in a panic.

"I have a feeling Ashley's appendix is about to rupture," Seth pulled back the curtain, Ashley curled in a ball with moaning and crying in pain.

"ABBY!" she screamed shooting up out of bed into my arms. "I hurt, I hurt in my tummy," she cried into my shoulder and I held her close to my chest. Seth went back out to the nurses' stations before returning with a group of people, the surgical team. He had volunteered to help out and I was glad because I knew Ashley was going to scream the moment we were separated. I rubbed her back as the doctor pushed medicine through her IV. "Is Dr. Seth going to stay with me?" Ashley asked groggily.

"Yes, sweets. He's gonna make sure everything's okay," I whispered. Her body started to feel like dead weight in my arms and I gave her a kiss on the cheek before breathing in her soft powder scent, scared out of my mind that this might be the last time I hold my baby sister in my arms.

"I love you, Dr. Seth," Ashley whispered putting her arm out for Seth who took it and kissed her hand.

"I love you too, Ash," Seth took her from me, laying her on the bed as the nurses undid the wheel locks.

"I'll be right here when you wake up, Angel," I said as the team started to wheel her out, Seth staying back for a minute. "Please take care of her, Seth, please," I begged and felt his warm arms wrap around me.

He put his finger under my chin and lifted my face to see him. "I'm not gonna let anything happen, okay? I take care of my family, Bee," he leaned down to give me a hard kiss before following the surgical staff.

Aunt Tess and Uncle Rob had moved themselves to the family waiting room. I plopped down in an empty seat, rubbing my temples and praying that everything was okay. Ava had joined Aunt Tess and Uncle Rob soon after. The surgery took forever, long stressful anxiety filled hours. I kept telling myself it was just an appendix. People have them removed all the time. But those people weren't my little sister who less than a week ago had been threatened to be taken from me. I couldn't lose them, either of them.

"Bee," Seth's voice said softly while I seemed to be lost in a daze. I looked up at him dressed in his scrubs and he grinned at me. "Everything's okay. She's in recovery right now. Her appendix ruptured just as they opened her up and they had to do a lot of cleaning to make sure the toxins didn't spread but she's okay." He sat next to me taking my hand and then pulling me into his side and kissing my forehead. "She's gonna take a little time to get back to normal and she's going to have a scar but she should be alright."

"Thank you," I said, not really knowing what else there was to say.

"I love you, Abigail. And I promise you Ashley's going to be just fine," he whispered into my ear.

He was right, Ashley was fine. It took her a lot longer to recover than a normal appendectomy because of the rupture but she was okay with taking things slowly. Seth told us that Nessie had given birth to a healthy baby boy they named Griffin on the 4th of January and that served as quite the motivator for Ashley's healing process.

"As soon as I get out of the hospital, I want to see the baby!" she squealed while she filled herself full of her Jell-o.

Seth was also right about her surgical incision that would one day be a scar. But Ashley was okay with that. She thought it looked pretty cool and felt the need to show anyone that came to visit, her favorite visitor being her Auntie Leah who brought her a stuffed elephant and a coupon for another cookie making day.

After a week in the hospital, things semi returned to normal and Ashley was released to go home. Ava was always surprising me and she didn't miss the guilt on my face and in my gut. She was more than happy to remind me that it wasn't my fault that Ashley's body had chosen to pick that night to betray her. That I deserved my happy moments too and that Seth was my destiny. I only nodded as she spoke but felt reassured when Dr. Sexy carried Ashley to her bed that night, Sadie following behind them. We hadn't been intimate since New Years Eve and I made sure to put every ounce of love and emotion into my actions when we made love that night.

A few more days passed and we received a call from Nessie, inviting the girls and me over for a sip-and-see, a chance to see the new baby and enjoy some tea. Ashley wore her fanciest dress and even put on gloves, "because that's what a lady wears to a tea party." She'd also watched every Harry Potter movie while on bed rest and decided that because the Griffin was the symbol for Griffindor, she would look for a stuffed Griffin for the baby. With no such luck, she settled on a lion that could resemble a Griffin. Seth picked us up, and I was in awe at the blue balloons and blue wreath on the door.

"That's Alice's doing, she goes overboard sometimes but she has the best of intentions," Seth said.

I smiled and nodded, remembering the amazing work she did for my birthday party. The moment we were welcomed at the door by Nessie's sister-in-law, I felt sick. Something, some scent in the air had invaded my sense of smell. It was sweet, like cotton candy, and it got a little worse as I met each of Nessie's family members.

"Do you smell that?" I whispered to Seth as Ashley held the small little bundle of joy in her arms, cooing and telling him about her surgery.

"What's it smell like?" Seth whispered into my ears, his arms around me from the back.

"I don't know, cotton candy or something sweet," I answered and I felt Seth stiffen behind me but he didn't say anything else. Then it was my turn to hold little Griffin. "He's precious," I cooed as I pulled the warm little bundle to me. His skin was light and his eyes were beautifully brown like he was looking into your soul. And then my mind went in a hundred different directions.

_Is this what Seth and mine's children would look like? When would we have babies? Could I have Ava and Ashley and still have my own kids? _I was thankfully saved from my internal struggle when Nessie's brother cleared his throat and I passed the baby back to Nessie to feed.

Nessie's family fawned over the newborn and everyone listened as Ashley described her research on the internet about Griffins. It was sweet of them and she seemed to charm them like she does just about everyone else.

That night, crawling into bed, I took assessment of everything in my life that had changed since moving to Forks, how I originally hated the thought of moving, seeing it as a failure in myself. But it wasn't, I got that now and I was content that night to just lay next to Seth's warm body and for once, let my mind rest…no worries.

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**So Nina and I have neither one had our appendixes removed but earlier, last fall, one of my students did, and it ruptured and she had to literally be cleaned out. **

**Thanks to everyone who is still reading and reviewing! Lots more excitement to come!**


	14. Valentine's Day Sucks!

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters kinda belong to me.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. I'm loving writing in her universe and she's an amazing friend! Thank you for being so patient and for dealing with my little quirks! Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World." She is extraordinarily talented and you won't be disappointed. **

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of Abby's Valentine's outfit!**

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 19 of Ninadoll's**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. You'll get some insight to the oh-so-cute Griffin and more about the Battle de Newborn!**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock!**

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**CHAPTER 14: VALENTINE'S DAY SUCKS!**

**ABBY'S POV**

I was sick, sicker than I had ever been in my life. My body ached and my head was pounding. I was throwing up any little bit of food that I could get down and I had no clue what was wrong with me. To make matters worse, it was my least favorite day of the year, the worst holiday ever created, Valentine's Day. And here I am now, laying with my head on the cool tile of my bathroom floor. At this point, I was beckoning death to take me away.

"You look all clammy," Ava said, bringing me a glass of 7-Up and sitting it next to me.

"I feel like shit," I groaned.

"Abigail Blyte! That is not language becoming of a lady!" Ashley said as she stood in the door way with her hands on her hips. Since she had had her appendix removed and Ava let her watch My Fair Lady, everything was about being a lady.

"Sorry, Ash," I put my hands out as Ava helped to pull me off the floor, the room spun just enough to make me dry heave into the toilet bowl.

Ava has been my nurse the past few days, filling me with 7-Up and putting cool cloths to my head. She hadn't ever been the maternal or nurturing type but I would've probably died without her. "Where is Seth?" she asked.

"He had to go to La Push really early this morning. Something about a meeting with Jake and a couple other guys, though why they would need to meet at 5 o'clock in the morning is beyond me," I said, this time being able to actually stand for a minute.

"Oh," Ava said. That was the one downside to Ava right now. She was being very mysterious. Anytime I brought up La Push or Jake or meetings, she kinda got tense. I walked to the bed and collapse, putting my hands over my putrid feeling stomach. Ashley crawled next to me and laid her head on my shoulder.

"Everything okay?" I asked, closing my eyes.

"Uh, yeah, just stuff," she said. I knew she was lying.

"Okay, well you know you can always talk to me," I said. Her tensing worried me, like she knew something and something was going on with Seth. It worried me that he would have to go to La Push so much, almost everyday at the most awkward times. But I never told anyone or let on in anyway that I was concerned.

"I'll make breakfast, Abbs. You need to get ready for work," Ava smiled.

I smiled back. Seth and I had plans tonight, elaborate dinner plans at the same restaurant that we tried to have a date at the night the wolf was injured.

After my vomit episode, I managed to get showered and dressed then headed to the office. I stopped by Seth's for our short morning make-out session in his office. I won't lie and say it never went further than that but it was extremely difficult to do _it_ without wanting to make some sort of noise. Luckily, though, Sky was no longer employed by Dr. Sexy, and his new receptionist, Jackie, was much nicer. She was young and new to town, but she was married to a Quileute and had been recommended to Seth by Sue. That made it seem better. I guess that's one of my biggest flaws, jealousy. I can't grasp the concept of anyone else having Seth.

I worked through most of the morning not even getting the slightest bit sick and with a new found energy. I finished up my first few appointments for the morning before heading up to the front desk where Nancy was on the phone with someone discussing a Siamese cat named Mao. It was all well and good until I looked at the appointment book. _February 14_—it glared at me like a pissed off Chihuahua. _February 14__th__, February 14__th__, February 14__th__. _Of course it was February 14th. It was Valentine's Day and this, this was bad. I tried not to panic in front of Nancy so I swiftly made my way back to my office, flipping through my planner.

"Oh, no…" I whispered, flipping and flipping. Every month up to January had red circles around certain dates each month. There had been no circles since December. "But, then…" Maybe it was stress, I had been working hard to get Ashley recuperated. Maybe my body was just worn out and was compensating by not getting its monthly visit from Aunt Flo. Or maybe I was just scatterbrained and forgot to make the red circles. From the looks of the planner in front of me, I hadn't had my period since December. I felt my eyes start to water at the realization that I might very well be pregnant and I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

I had to know. I grabbed my purse and walked out to Nancy. "I'm gonna run to the drugstore really quick. Do you need anything?" I asked her, hoping she'd say no and she did. I drove as fast as I could without an altercation with Forks' Finest, and walked into the drugstore.

There were just about every type of pregnancy test you could imagine. Digital or non-digital. Expensive or cheap. And, just to tease you, they put them right next to the condoms and the baby diapers. I felt myself start to hyperventilate trying to figure out which pregnancy test to buy, while also looking inconspicuous and not drawing any attention to myself. I settled on a test in a purple box. I didn't know how it worked or why I even chose it, it just seemed like the right one. I grabbed one of them and headed to the counter. If I was lucky, no one would see me. No one would recognize me and I could get through this little scare with no harm done.

The clerk was a black-haired girl with a couple tattoos on her arms. She couldn't have been older than Ava. "This is the one I always use," she said, popping her gum.

I was okay, calm, cool and collected up to the point where I actually went into the bathroom at my office, pulling out the directions and reading carefully, no way did I want to screw this up. I peed on the stick like it said, then sat it on the counter to wait the agonizing three minutes. It was disgusting but I lay on the floor, thinking. What if I was pregnant? What the hell was I going to do? What would Seth say? Oh, shit, what if Seth wouldn't want a baby. What if he was pissed and then…

My thoughts were interrupted by the timer I had set on my cell phone rang. I didn't want to look or even think about what the results would be. But whether I wanted to or not, I had to. Very slowly, I picked myself up off the floor, reaching to the sink and grabbing the plastic wand and looking down at it. Two purple lines. _Two purple lines?_ _What the hell did that mean?_ I pulled the directions out of the trashcan, intently reading each line, each syllable, every punctuation mark until I got to the part I need.

_One purple line is negative. You're not pregnant. Two purple lines means congratulations! You're going to be a Mommy!_

Now, I had three choices of how I could handle this. I could go into denial, pretend like I hadn't just taken a positive pregnancy test; or I could freak out right now and cry and decide not to leave this tiny bathroom until nine months from now; or I could be mature about it and make absolutely certain that I really did have a bun in the oven. For the time being, I chose the latter, calling Kim's office to set up an emergency appointment. I got lucky, an appointment had cancelled for one-thirty. I had to leave now, canceling my appointments for the afternoon, making up a lame excuse for Nancy.

My mind was not able to concentrate on a single thing other than babies or bottles or diapers or soft furry blankets and I didn't even register my arrival at the clinic until I turned off my car. I took a few deep breaths, feeling the world around me drown away as I walked into Kim's clinic. I couldn't see the things around me, happy pregnant women, some with swollen bellies, others with newborns and others still like me with flat stomachs. I was too shell-shocked to notice much else. I think I might have even misspelled my name on the paperwork the receptionist had me fill out.

"First baby?" the woman sitting across from me asked. I nodded even though I didn't technically know for sure that I was pregnant. She was smiling, cradling a pink bundle while simultaneously rolling her double stroller back and forth, another sleeping pink bundle in it. "First is always the hardest. These two, Betsy and Brenda, are my sixth and seventh. Hell, with them, they just kinda slid out on their own. I didn't really even have to do much work." Her eyes raked over me as I felt myself tense. "You'll have more work to do with this one. Your boobs will get huge and hurt like hell, and you'll get the most god-awful stretch marks! And the birth! Don't get me started, a whole lot of tearing and ripping," she chuckled but I cringed. Like I wasn't terrified already at the possibility of being knocked up.

"Abigail?" a smiling nurse said, saving me from anymore horror stories from the lady with the twins. I gathered my purse and followed her. She weighed me, took my temperature and blood pressure, and then directed me to the bathroom where I had to take another urine test.

Finally, I was placed in an exam room, stripped down to a thin paper gown. As I sat waiting in Kim's exam room, I heard her voice and I listened for a minute as she talked on the phone with Jared. I was seriously hoping she wasn't telling him I was here. More and more images started popping into my head as I sat there. His possible reactions. How could I deal with him being pissed off? Would he yell? Seth didn't seem like a yeller. But what if…what if he told me to get rid of it? I couldn't keep my legs still as I sat on the table, swinging them back and forth. A positive pregnancy test and being sick as a dog was probably enough evidence that I was in fact carrying a baby inside me. But I needed more proof.

"What brings you in today, Abby?" Kim asked, sitting on the stool in front of me.

"I'm pregnant," I blurted out. "Or I think I'm pregnant. I don't know."

"Okay, well, lets start at the beginning," she smiled but I could see shock written all over her face. She then proceeded to ask a million questions ranging from the tenderness in my breasts to the first day of my last period. I answered each one question honestly and then lay back on the table as she started, putting my feet in stirrups. "Does Seth know?"

I shook my head. "I…just…I just took the test this morning and it didn't even seem like a possibility," I was crying now, though I wasn't sure if they were tears of joy or desperation. "Please don't say anything to anyone."

Kim slipped on rubber gloves. "You know ethically I can't. But more importantly as your friend, I won't." She felt around my abdomen and then smiled. I wasn't sure what she was doing. I should've been, I'd performed this kind of exam on hundreds of animals but humans were a different story. I kept my eyes closed while she did…whatever it is she did. She snapped her gloves off and patted my knee. "Okay, you can get dressed. I'm going to go check your urine test and then be back." She smiled again, thought it wasn't nearly as encouraging as I hoped, which in my mind meant she knew whether or not I was preggers. I threw my clothes on and then very gingerly hopped up on the exam table, hoping that I wouldn't jumble anything inside me. I didn't have to wait long, Kim came back in a minute later, taking her seat on the rolling stool. "Well, you're definitely pregnant. I'd say you're bout six weeks along," she said, helping me sit up. _New Years. _I did the first thing that I knew to do. I sobbed, literally broke down, my body shaking. Kim went out of doctor mode for a minute and pulled me into a hug as I tried to control myself. "Abby, it's going to be okay," she said, rubbing my back softly.

How could I have let this happen? Things in my mind were so jumbled. It was like my Dad's voice in my head from when I was a teenager, warning me about premarital sex. And here I was, in a doctor's office, with a baby in my womb and my heart going a million miles a minute. Then part of me was excited at the possibility of building a family with Seth. All those positive thoughts were reigned in by the fact that I had no solid commitment from him. And as dumb as it may sound, I needed that. Seth and I hadn't had the conversation about marriage or kids because they both seemed like things for later down the road, not now.

"Seth…" I bawled. "What if he doesn't…" I couldn't speak in complete sentences and I felt the urge to puke but suppressed it.

"Shh…" Kim tried to calm me. "I know him and he's going to be so happy, Abby."

I shook my head. "No, things have been weird lately. He keeps leaving at all hours of the night and he says he's going to La Push but what if he's not? What if he's going to some other girl's house?" I mentally added, _And I'm carrying his child!_

"I can assure you, there's no one but you," she pulled back from the hug, giving me a tissue to wipe my running nose. "Now, I want you to go home. I want you to get some rest. Is Seth coming over tonight?"

"We're meeting in Port Angeles for dinner," I told her, blowing my nose.

Her strict instructions were for me to go home and get into bed until it was time to get ready for my date with Seth. I listened to her, getting home and crawling in bed with my laptop researching everything I could about pregnancy and the stage I was in. At this point, the baby was developing facial features and a voicebox. Looking at the 3D graphics and then glancing down at my stomach and realizing that was what was growing inside me made me cry again. I sat my hand on top of my slightly swollen but not noticeably enlarged abdomen. It was harder than usual and there was no way physically you could probably tell I was pregnant unless you really looked but it didn't matter. I knew, a tiny little piece of Seth and me rested inside me.

At some point during the day, a beautiful arrangement of green hydrangeas and white roses arrived for me from Seth and I decided that as scared as I was I would tell him tonight. I knew this wasn't going to go well, though. Seth was a respected doctor and leader of his tribe and now I was making him the father of an illegitimate child. I was going to take away every single thing he'd worked so hard for, at the mere mention of the word 'pregnant.' It wasn't just about him being mad about me being pregnant now, it was about so much more. But I had to tell him, I had to. I had weighed all my options lying in bed that afternoon in between sobbing episodes. Abortion was out even before it was in. I couldn't stand the thought of death so I knew I couldn't do that. Then came the thoughts of Seth again. If he wanted the baby, that was great. If he wanted me and the baby, that was phenomenal. And if he wanted neither, I would deal with that…somehow. I didn't want to deal with that, I wanted to hope for the best possible scenario but I couldn't trust fate anymore. And now it wasn't just me I had to think about. I knew that from now on, the little baby growing inside me and I, came as a package deal. Though I wanted Seth to be happy, I wanted to build our family, I already loved the little one in my womb.

As I stared at myself in the mirror, looking at my flat stomach and slid my hand to touch the area very tenderly, rubbing gently and feeling somehow more feminine and important than I had ever felt before in my life.

Getting dressed, I had to go through three dresses before I could actually find one that wasn't tight around the abdomen. I think it was more psychological than actually being too tight but everything just felt different. I felt uncomfortable too, like my simple black dress made me frumpy, and my boobs looked too big through the lace that covered the cleavage area, and I knew this was just the beginning. I still had at 34 weeks of changes. Then I started crying again. I didn't want to go through those changes alone. I needed Seth to be there with me and tell me I was beautiful when I was nine months pregnant and about to pop.

My cell phone ringing brought me out of my thoughts and I looked down to see Seth's name and a picture of his goofy grin. "Hello," I smiled nervously crying at the sight of him.

"Hey, I'm running a little late, babe. Think you can just meet me in Port Angeles?" he sounded winded and it scared me a little. This was all boiling down to the odd hours he'd been keeping lately. As long as I'd known Seth, he'd never been as flighty as he was now and that made me cry again, thinking of how much he had changed and playing into my insecure thoughts about our future.

"Okay, are you leaving now?" I picked up the essentials in my big purse putting them into a smaller clutch for the evening.

"Yeah, I have to stop by the house and change clothes," he said as I heard other voices in the background. I couldn't place them, some male, some female.

"Then I'll see you in a bit," I spritz on some perfume and walked into the hallway.

"What were you doing?" Ava asked as I practically jumped out of my skin.

I choked on my breath trying to get my heart to slow down. "What are you talking about?"

"You were staring at yourself in the mirror and you had your hand on your stomach. Is something going on?" She cocked her eyebrow, it wasn't a look of anger or anything of that sort. It was more of concern.

I shook my head at her. "Oh, my stomach felt queasy and I thought I was going to get sick so I was just, you know?"

Ava kinda looked me over then shrugged. "You look really pretty. Your face kinda has this glow to it," she smiled and got closer to me. "I'm really happy for you, Abby. I know I don't' really say much about it, but, um, I like Seth and I'm glad you're with him. I think Mom and Dad would like him a lot too."

I closed the distance between us. "I know you don't think it, but your opinion matters a lot to me, Ava. You're my little sister and I promise I'll always take care of you. No matter who else comes along." I knew she probably thought I was referring to Seth, but in the back of my mind, I was including the child inside me in that mix. If there was anything I had learned over the years, it was that our hearts are never a permanent size. They grow and change when new people come into our lives. And the same was true for my sisters and my baby and Seth. I could love them all with everything I had. I was praying that Seth could too.

Ava ran her hand over her cheek, brushing tears as she hugged me. "Thanks, Abbs."

We pulled away and I looked her over. She was clad in a sweater and jeans, not date material. "No plans tonight? I can have Claire watch Ash if you have a date."

"Nah. Scar's here and we're gonna make pizzas with Ashley. He brought stuff for s'mores too," she beamed a little.

"And you're sure there's nothing going on between the two of you?" I couldn't help but ask as she helped me put my coat on.

"No. We're just friends, he likes hanging out here and I like having him around, you know? But not like in a sexual way or anything," she emphasized the friends part.

"Well, I'm glad he's here," we walked down the stairs together, Ashley sitting on the counter feeding Sadie graham crackers and pepperoni slices while Scar explained the fine art of pizza sauce distribution. Ashley was listening intensely, only occasionally throwing food down to Sadie.

Scar stopped when we reached the bottom stair and turned towards us. "Hey Abby," he said, Scar's voice was always just a little flat, very little emotion in it, and what emotion was there was pain and sorrow. But he was different with Ashley. He wasn't so dark and brooding. He seemed at ease.

"Hi Scar," I smiled as Ashley looked up at me, two pepperoni's over her eyes as she munched on something. "You guys having fun?" I pulled Ash into my side, knowing I couldn't lift her now.

"Yep, me and Scar are making 'the world's bestest, most delicate pizzas!'" Ashley exclaimed as she took the pepperoni off.

"Delicious, Ash," Scar corrected her but she seemed unphased.

"That sounds fun," I kissed her forehead and got a whiff of the pepperoni. I froze, my eyes widening as my stomach churned and I reached for the kitchen sink, leaning over and gagging.

"Eww, Abby! That's gross!" Ashley turned her nose up.

Ava ran over to me, holding my hair as I felt absolutely nothing coming up. "Sorry. I think I'm okay," I groaned.

After the near puke episode, I endured a lecture from both Scar and Ava about how unsafe it was for me to drive, especially to Port Angeles if I was so sick I was throwing up. I scolded them both, reminding them I was the grown up and if I thought I was okay, I was okay. It was all well and good in theory until I was half way to Port Angeles and had to pull over to dry heave by the side of the road. Which is probably why Seth beat me to the restaurant, his car next to the entrance and an empty spot, which made me happy because it meant I wouldn't have to walk as far.

I put on a final layer of lipstick, gave my stomach one last pat, and headed into the restaurant. The hostess pointed me in the right direction and I saw Seth almost immediately. His head was down and he was drumming his fingers on the table, then fixing his red tie and suit jacket. He looked more handsome than I'd ever seen him look. I walked towards him on unsteady feet and saw his nervous face break into a smile as he looked up at me.

"Abby," Seth got up and pulled my chair out for me then leaned down to my ear. "You look amazingly beautiful." His lips met my cheek.

"Thanks," I blushed. "You do too."

He looked me over. "Are you feeling okay, babe?"

I nodded to him. "I'm okay," I kept it at that, not wanting to tell him he was going to be a father just yet. Seth grinned and put his hand across the table. I took it and felt him give it a tight squeeze. We spent most of the next few minutes looking into each others' eyes until the waiter arrived with a bottle of champagne. He filled Seth's glass and went to fill mine. I threw my hand over the top of the empty glass. "Just water please," I tried to be calm about it but the waiter still turned his nose at me and left only to return a few minutes later with a pitcher of water. I felt Seth's palms start to sweat a little and I could tell something wasn't right. He seemed too…not like Seth. He took his hand away from mine setting the tone for the evening.

Dinner was awkward. It wasn't like the hundreds of times Seth and I had eaten together before. We both seemed somehow preoccupied or thinking about something else. I was careful what I ordered, staying away from shellfish or any rare meat that might make me throw up again.

In fact, I would've doubted there was anything connection between the two of us until we drove back to his cabin. We made it to the bedroom just before he hiked up my dress, pulling it quickly over my head and then removing any other clothing I might have on until I was clad only in a pair of pearl earrings. Seth pulled his pants off first then while we kissed I worked at his tie and shirt as he reached for a condom. I almost wanted to tell him not to bother it but I wasn't ready yet, I wasn't ready to change his life that quickly. He sat on the bed, completely naked and pulled me to straddle him, then wrapped my arms and legs around him, the most intimate parts of us connected. And I felt it, I felt love, I rocked my hips and his lips attacked mine and I felt love.

When he was near his release, Seth did what I knew he would, what he did every time we made love. He flipped me on my back, keeping us connected and thrusting into me. My movements met his, up until about a minute later when I felt myself collapse around him and then felt him follow suit. He kissed me tenderly again then rolled onto his back, pulling me to his side and closing his eyes.

"Um, Seth, I need to tell you something," I felt like I might puke or pass out as I watched his eyes open but not look at me.

"I, um, have something to tell you, too," he wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Oh, okay, um, you go first," I was more than willing to wait to break my news.

But then, the worst thing I could imagine happened. "So, I think we need to talk," he said and I knew that was never good but I had hope that it wasn't what was going through my head right now. I swallowed hard as he kept going. "I've been keeping this from you for awhile and I need to tell you. Um, shit," he rubbed his palms on the sheets as I sat up on my elbows. "This is so hard."

I was now biting back tears. I knew it, I knew this was all too good to be true. "Just say it," I almost thought I was going to lose it right there, my breathing not at all steady and every inch of me trying not to have a panic attack.

"Well, you know how my tribe has a lot of different legends, right? And especially the ones about wolves," Seth ran his fingertips over my charm bracelet he'd given me for Christmas. "See, the thing is, my brothers and I…"

"Brothers?" I asked, knowing for a fact he only had one sibling and Leah was very much a girl.

"Yeah, my brothers and I have been given a big responsibility. It's not something we can help, it just kinda happens to us, when we're teenagers. Mine happened the night my father died. It happened to Leah too," Seth's words seemed to rattle on and my head was spinning.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, finally sitting up and looking in his eyes.

"Because, what I need to tell you, what you need to know, my brothers and I…" a moment passed where the only thing I could hear was our breathing. This wasn't good. Perhaps my news might not even make it out tonight. "We're…I'm a…I'm a wolf," he said flatly.

"Excuse me?"

"A wolf. Like I can turn into a wolf, a shape shifter," Seth answered, still not looking at me. "I have this gene and it…"

"A wolf? Uh huh. Okay, well, um, that's nice," I said.

"No, I am. My friends and I all are. Jake, Embry, Quil…all of us. And we protect the reservation from vampires," he said.

In all the movies I'd seen, all the books I'd read, this had to be the most unique way anyone had broken up with someone. Vampires and Werewolfs…right. "Vampires and werewolves. Seriously, Seth. You know, you could've just come out and said you didn't want to be with me anymore. It hurts like hell but at least it would've been honest," I didn't look at him as I stood up pulling on my dress sans any undergarments.

"Abby!" he startled me with how loud his voice was. "You have to believe me."

"Why? You know what, this is just low, Seth. Do you realize…do you know how much I gave to you? My body, my soul, I gave you everything. And this is how you break it off? With made up stories of werewolves and vampires." My back was to him but I could feel his eyes boring into me and I grabbed my clutch and slid my shoes on trying to make it out of the room as fast as possible. He was right behind me though.

"I'm not lying or making this up," his voice sounded off, a shake to it almost.

"No, you…have a nice life, Seth," I didn't even bother to look at him because I knew it would hurt too bad. It would literally kill me and if I didn't have my sisters and the baby growing inside me, I probably would've been okay with that.

"Please, just listen to me, Abby, please," he was starting to come after me as I kept walking.

"And have you tell me what? Another lie?" I was scared, feeling the worse case scenarios I'd thought of earlier creep up inside. "Well, I have my own secret to tell you, I'm—" I was just about to spill as a chorus of wolf's howls ripped the air.

"Fuck!" That was the last thing I heard Seth say, he looked back for a second and then ran off, I didn't see where he went, he had so obviously made his choice. I got in the car and started home.

I didn't cry the whole drive, I didn't even cry when I walked in the house, almost running upstairs in my heels to my bed. My mind filled with all the plans I'd made, all the things I thought I would be doing with Seth. I knew the baby would change things but I could see us as a family. I could see us happy together. But now, when I closed my eyes and saw the picture, it was just me and a baby…no Seth. And I thought about Ash and Ava. This was going to devastate Ash for sure. How the hell could I have let this get so serious? Especially lately when I knew something was off. I shouldn't have gotten so serious.

"Abby? Is everything okay?" Ava knocked on the door.

"I'm fine, Ava. Can you just, just make sure Ashley goes to bed?" I was still holding myself together, my hand on my stomach wishing I could feel something. I needed to know that at least I had that part of Seth there with me.

"Did something happen?" she sounded concerned again, like she had this morning.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay? Now get Ash ready for bed," I felt my resolve breaking and the tears starting. It was quiet outside the door, outside the windows. All I could hear were my tears and sobs and the rain hitting the window panes. And my heart, shattering one little piece at a time. _What the hell was I going to do now?_ I knew one thing though, Seth couldn't know I was pregnant. I would do something, I would move my office, I would make sure I never saw him again. I couldn't, it would literally rip me apart to see him. But I couldn't very well move. The girls were finally situated in school and were happy for once in a long while.

I thought more as I cried into my pillow. Remembering my most recent conversation with Aunt Tess about my cousin, Ginger. _"Apparently, Ginger's ready to move back here. The divorce won't be final for a few more months. It seems so odd because everything seemed fine at Christmas but obviously something wasn't. She says she'd come right now if she had someone to take her vet office off her hands." _

That was it, the perfect idea. I heard Ava tucking Ashley in and through my tears I dialed the phone. "Ginger?" I whispered. "I have a proposition for you." My mind was made up now and I would leave before things had the chance to get anymore complicated. I was alone and brokenhearted and I wouldn't add shame to that. So I would go, I would bring my child into the world with love, something I knew I couldn't do if I stayed here. I would keep my secret for my baby's sake and I would go to the only place I knew I could trust.

**SETH'S POV**

I had been preparing for this for the past few days and knew there was a strong possibility the attack could happen at anytime. I didn't expect it to happen now. This was not how I was supposed to be spending tonight. In a perfect world, Abby would know my secret and be wearing the engagement ring I'd bought last week and I would go off to fight knowing when I came home the love of my life and my future would be home waiting for me.

But this was not a perfect world and Abby wasn't here and the damn ring was resting in my bedside table longing for my love's finger and more importantly than that, I wasn't able to bring her back, to chase her down and make her realize I wasn't lying. I wanted to go after her and bring her home. That wasn't going to happen tonight though. The moment the howls were in the air, I had no choice but to do my duty as a wolf.

"Oh, looky here, it's a sandy mutt," a female newborn growled just as I emerged from the woods to join the rest of my pack in one of the biggest attacks since the Battle of Victoria. "You don't seem too intimidating."

_Intimidating! _I scoffed and lunged at the vampire bitch, grabbing hold of her neck and pulling. _I was telling her, I needed to finish telling her and you took that._ I had never been much of a violent wolf, perhaps that was a weakness but at this moment every pissed off emotion I had about seeing my Abby get in that car and drive off, came to the surface.

_Need help?_ Quil asked from beside me. Abby's face on the verge of tears as she turned and drove away popped up. _Looks like you've got it under control_.

It was an easy kill and I probably savored it a little too much. I shouldn't be here fighting a band of newborn vampires, I should be home explaining all this to Abby. I detached the head, sending it towards a fire Jasper had just lit. He grabbed it and tossed it into the flames, then grabbed one arm while I grabbed the other with my teeth. We both pulled and the vamp was a torso and legs which Jasper was more than eager to burn.

I caught sight of a male with wild black hair, his crimson eyes locked on me with a snarly smile. "You wanna dance, punk?"

_Punk, really? That's the best you can come up with_? Now, I'm not insane, I know he can't hear me but at this point, my only concern is shutting this shit down now. I ran to pounce on him but his arm hit my chest and my body was flung across the field a ways. I rose with a yip, before seeing him bend down to pick a hand up, giving me just the right amount of time to attack his legs. I looked like an angry Pomeranian pulling at his leg while he shook it vigorously until I got a hold of flesh and pulled.

I was in the process of dismembering the vampire when I felt it. I could see the picture through the mind link but my focus was on my vamp. It was like a cloud of dust, Scott, AJ, vamps, all rolling until I felt the most excruciating pain I'd ever felt. It was hot pain, a throbbing.

_Shit! Fuck! Son of a Bitch! That shit hurts!_ And a succession of other swear words came out of various wolves' minds as the pain set in. I felt shimmers all around me as Emmett pulled a vamp's head, its teeth connected to AJ. One by one, as I looked at the piles of burning wood and vampire, a few of the wolves started phasing back.

"Seth! Where the fuck is Seth? Get here right now!" Jake yelled for me. I phased as I ran towards the crowd that had formed around AJ.

There was one simple thing we understood about vampire venom and wolves. One bite could be death. AJ was seizing, thrashing around. "MOVE!" I yelled, pushing every individual out of the way until I reached the AJ. He was human and I fell to my knees. "AJ, look at me," I said, grabbing his head and pulling it towards me. His body was flailing and turning a grey color. His eyes were rolling into the back of his head and I knew it was coming. I shoved my finger into AJ's mouth, keeping his tongue down. He growled and coughed as his hand wrapped around my arm and pulled my finger out of his mouth.

AJ's eyes rolled again and his body seized. "Shit," I groaned, finding the bite mark on his upper bicep. It was already starting to heal, trapping the vampire venom in his body. "Anyone got a knife?" Emmett pulled a hunting knife from his jeans and handed it to me. I made a mental note to ask about that later but shoved the thought aside, pressing the blade into AJ's skin and made long, deep cuts to the parts that were scarring over. "I need a belt," I said as Jasper slid his off and placed it in my waiting hand. I tightened it in a makeshift tourniquet hoping to keep the blood from flowing anymore and spreading the toxins. Watching his body wracked with another seizure, it was more than likely that my brother was going to die in my arms.

"Tell – tell Shanna – that- that- I love her. Please," AJ's eyes were scared and I couldn't help but think about his words. It made sense now, why Jake always told Nessie he loved her before he left. So that in the event he didn't come back, that would be the memory she had of him. As I supported AJ's head, I remembered my last words to Abby. They weren't loving and they didn't tell her how much I loved her, how much I needed her, how she was everything good in my world and I couldn't wait until the day she was my wife, until we had a family. My last word to the love of my life was "Fuck!"

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**I've had people tell me that when a character gets pregnant, sometimes people stop reading. Please don't! I promise you, there's a lot planned for Seth and Abby and her sisters! I am working on the Ava story as well! Thank you to all who voted!**


	15. Broken, Apart

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters kinda belong to me.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe. She is a truly amazing author and a fabulous friend. Please check out her stories "The Rest of Forever" and "How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World." You will not be disappointed.**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of clothes and such from this chapter!**

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 20 of Ninadoll's**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. You'll find out how Jake handles the situation with AJ and another interesting fact about Griffin!**

**Also, the first chapter of the Ava spin-off is up. It's called **_**A Love That Defies All Logic**_**. Please be sure to check it out if you haven't already.**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock!**

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**CHAPTER 14: BROKEN, APART**

**SETH'S POV**

Everything seemed to run in slow motion while I waited patiently for Jacob to convince Edward to remove the venom from AJ. The makeshift procedure I had just performed on him was slowing the flow but if something wasn't done almost immediately, AJ was a goner.

We encountered a slight problem with the venom removal, and that too not a complete removal, no one knowing what wolf blood did to vampires. We managed to transport him back to my wolf clinic in my basement/garage and one by one each member of the pack donated blood with the hope we could save our brother. Jake was the first and I was the last, though AJ had slipped into a coma at that point. The pack crowded the house, no one wanting to go home in case something changed. I stayed by AJ monitoring him throughout the night.

The next day, I was exhausted. I slept as much as I could, but I needed to be alert in case something happened. AJ's vitals weren't stable and he was all over the place. One minute he'd be fine and the next he'd be seizing again. I wasn't entirely sure what to do and most of my actions were improvised with the hope that if it didn't help, at least it didn't hurt. Added to all this, was the fact that my brain couldn't _not_ think about Abby. Just about every other thought had her in it. I needed to get AJ stable enough to at least give me the chance to get to her, to explain everything again and hopefully she would listen.

By the second day, I looked like shit. I didn't have time or the inclination to attempt to make myself look presentable. We were all still on high alert, worried that there might be more newborns just waiting in the wings. Jake and Edward seemed pretty sure that was a definite possibly. Not good, because as much as I needed Abby, as much as I needed to make it right, I had a duty to my pack and tribe. I couldn't abandon them, no matter how much my heart felt like it was breaking.

"Jake," I said, watching as he stood next to AJ's comatose form. "Do you think it would be alright…" I didn't finish, hoping he knew what I was going to say. AJ wasn't waking up anytime soon, of that I was certain, and I needed to get out of here and go to the only place I knew I could feel okay, in Abby's arms.

"Go. Keep your phone on in case I need you," Jake didn't take his eyes off AJ.

"Thanks," I sighed. I didn't even bother to change clothes or bathe. I didn't know how long I might have so my only focus was on getting to Abby. I sped too, pretty sure that Charlie would understand if I happened to encounter him. I knew I looked bad, my hair was unkept, I was wearing my cutoffs and my shirt looked like it had been attacked by a pack of wolves, holes here and there. But at least I knew I was going to be with my imprint and she could make it all better. That's what I thought anyway. I was wrong.

I knew something was off from the moment I pulled into Forks. I felt pulled, not into town, but away. I wasn't sure where or how. And when I pulled into Abby's driveway, there was something else wrong. Her scent. It should've been really strong but it wasn't. It was almost gone, and what was left was watered down. Something definitely wasn't right. My worst fears were confirmed when I looked to the front porch, Scar's sullen frame sitting on the steps.

I got out slowly, with a small smile. "Hey," I called out to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Seth," Scar stood then but didn't move towards me.

It honestly scared me. He sounded way more serious than usual, which was extremely difficult for him because he was always serious. "Where's Abby?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

"She's not here. She…she left," he answered, keeping his eyes from mine.

"What do you mean, 'she left'?"

Now Scar looked up coming towards me. "She left, Seth. As in, she's gone."

"What? No, where's Ava? Where's Ashley?" I asked. He had to be lying to me. There was no way Abby could be gone. I had to clutch my chest though because I felt a hollowness there and I knew that was Abby's absence.

"They're at Tess's. Their cousin, Ginger, from Christmas, remember her?" I nodded to Scar. "She's coming up to take care of them for awhile."

"What do you mean she left?" I was still stuck on that statement. I didn't care about this Ginger lady, I needed my family, my Abby and her sisters. I needed them.

Scar was now directly in front of me, his hand on my shoulder. "She's gone. I…I saw her car leaving Forks. She packed her stuff and left."

"No." I said firmly. No matter what had happened, Abby wouldn't leave me. She couldn't, I needed her. "She wouldn't…"

"She did. I'm sorry, Seth, I know—" I didn't listen to another word he said as I pulled my keys out and unlocked the front door of the O'Briens' house. Nothing was missing, there was no way she could've left. I walked around the living room and the kitchen. Everything was as normal as it always was. The coffee maker had fresh coffee, Sadie's food bowl was full. No, Abby didn't leave. I bounded up the stairs, two at a time until I got to her bedroom, our bedroom.

I was convinced that everything was fine. The bed was made, though I couldn't get a grasp on Abby's scent. And I found out why when I opened the closet…empty. Then the dresser…empty. No, no, no, no. I rushed to the bathroom, her shampoo gone, her make-up drawer cleaned out. No, no.

"No, no, no, no," I mumbled, and then proceeded to open every drawer in the bathroom, all of them empty for the most part.

"Seth, I told you—."

I cut him off again. "Shut up, Scar! I'm trying to think!" I yelled at him, now in the bedroom, opening every single drawer or cubby or anything. Nothing was left of Abby. It hurt, a sharp pain starting in my chest and running down to my stomach. I was empty. I wasn't me, not without her. God, I had fucked up! I felt my eyes stinging with tears. There was no way, no way this was happening. All I needed was maybe fifteen minutes, I just needed to clear up all the things I had fucked up. I had to show her I wasn't lying. Fifteen minutes…was that too much to ask.

"It would take longer than that," Scar said before I realized my thoughts must have become public statements. "She was…not herself."

I was crying now, dammit! I had failed her, Abby was gone and I had forced her away. "Just leave me," I whispered, starting to feel my body shake. I wasn't going to phase, I was about to have a severe breakdown and I didn't want him here to see it. She was gone…I was empty.

"I don't think—"

"Goddammit, Scar! I said leave me alone!" I growled and watched as the younger wolf slowly backed out of the room. I was shaking harder and felt like I might phase but I let another part of the wolf take over and I sniffed around until I found the place where her scent lingered the most…her bed.

The sun was just starting to set and I don't know, crawling into her bed, her scent relaxing me until I finally fell asleep. For the first time in the days since the fight with the newborns, I was able to sleep. It smelt like pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving and I missed her warmth, I missed her everything.

When I woke the next morning, I had managed to pull the sheets over my head until I was in a cocoon of Perfume de Abby. Almost so much so that I forgot, only for a moment, that I was alone. The dead silence was enough to wake me back up to reality. There was no one else there. I rolled over, not wanting to escape the trap the sheets and blankets made around me. I did though and I snaked my arm around the covers to pull my phone from my pocket. It was still early, not even seven and I pulled my self out of the bed knowing there was someplace I had to go, the only place where I'd get the info I needed. I did something else I probably shouldn't have. I stole the pillows from Abby's bed…all of them. I looked like a complete weirdo carrying four pillows in my arms, walking out the front door and throwing them in my car. Luckily, no one saw because it was probably a bit to stalkerish for normal people. Not for me though, I needed her scent.

I drove like a normal person, at a normal speed, to Tess's house. Ava's car was in the driveway, Tess's too. I wasn't sure how to take this, if I needed to be calm or if I needed to go in with guns blazing, ready to kick some ass to get my woman back. I decided in my head that I would just take it one step at a time and see where it went. I was myself, ringing the doorbell. The person on the other side told me it wasn't going to be that simple though.

"Tess," I said. Abby's aunt stood with a serious look on her face, she was angry but I could see the worry there too.

"What did you do to her?" Tess said through gritted teeth.

"Nothing, I—"

"No, you had to have done something," Tess shook her head. "I trusted you with her. You knew she was fragile and you…she left her sisters, Seth. You hurt her."

"It was a misunderstanding, I was going to explain it to her but I didn't get a chance, she ran off and please tell me she's not really gone," I was practically begging her to lie to me and tell me the opposite of what I already knew was the truth.

"She's gone. My daughter Ginger will be here this evening. She's taking over the vet clinic and she'll stay at the house with Ava and Ash until Abby feels she can come…come back."

"Where did she go, Tess?" I asked. I should've known she wouldn't tell me but I asked anyway.

She shook her head. "You know I can't tell you that. Not that it'd be that hard to figure out."

It wasn't any good to ask, I knew I couldn't leave the La Push/Forks area. Hell, she could be in Montana and I couldn't leave. My responsibility, my duty, was to my pack and we were under a constant threat now of attack. I was needed here. Not to mention that AJ didn't look like he would be waking up anytime soon.

"Can I at least talk to Ava?" I needed some reassurance that at least she was okay. If I couldn't see her or feel her or talk to her, I needed to know she was safe. Tess wasn't buying it though. She kept looking at me skeptically. My temper started getting the better of me and I could feel my body trembling.

Almost like she heard me, Ava came from behind Tess. She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the door into the front lawn. "She's okay. I got a call this morning and she made it," Ava kept a grip on my arm. She knew how dangerous it was but she didn't back away, she stayed right next to me.

"Where is she, Ava? Please, just…just tell me, I won't…I just need to know, I…" I felt the tears coming again and I couldn't have a breakdown in the middle of Forks. I couldn't let the whole town see me practically dead with heartbreak.

"I promised her I wouldn't tell you. But she's okay, she'll be okay," Ava said, looking me in the eye.

"I tried to tell her, Ave, but she wouldn't…" I couldn't even explain it, not again. I'd fucked up and now there was no way of fixing it.

"I know, I tried too. But…there are…it's complicated, Seth," Ava didn't look like she was finished with that thought when I heard the other voice I'd been missing.

"Dr. Seth!" Ashley yelled from the door and ran out to me. I fell to my knees and let her wrap her arms around me. If I thought I was having trouble controlling my emotions, Ashley couldn't control hers at all. She was sobbing, her body slumped in my arms. "I missed you! I thought we wouldn't be a family anymore!"

"Shhh," I rubbed her back while she cried. "It's okay. We can't, we won't ever stop being a family. Abby's gonna come back and we're gonna be alright."

Ashley pushed me away and pounded her fist on my chest. "I hate Abby! She's a liar!"

I had to control the need to defend my imprint, even if she had left me and ran away, it was more prevalent than the need to be nice to the child I was still convinced would one day be my sister-in-law. I wouldn't let her not be.

"Don't say that, Ash," Ava pulled her away from me. "She'll be back, I promise. It may be awhile but she'll be back." Ashley twisted out of Ava's grip and came back to hug me.

"Ashley, listen," I held her closer and listened to her tears, trying to comfort her and not breakdown myself. I understood it now. Why Ashley was pissed, why Tess was pissed, because now, I was pissed. How dare she? Imprint or not, she had no right to leave her sisters, to leave me. Through gritted teeth and a shaking frame I tried to at least sound calm as the sensation of being extremely pissed off hit me. "You can come see me whenever you want. And when Abby comes back, we'll figure this out. You are still my family. You will always be my family, okay?"

Ashley pulled back and nodded at me. "I can come anytime I want?"

I nodded back. "As long as Ava and Tess say it's okay, you can come see me whenever, okay?" My voice softened and I pushed the anger back to at least provide some sort of comfort.

"Okay, I love you, Dr. Seth. Promise me you won't leave too," Ashley's voice was shaky and she was wiping tears with the back of her hand.

"I won't leave you, because I love you too. We're family, remember?" I looked her dead in the eyes, making that promise and she nodded again with a final hug before Tess called her into the house.

Ava stood looking at me. "Don't be angry with her, Seth. She's…Abby's not one to take things like what you are lightly. I think…I don't think she fully got it."

I didn't hear anything else. I knew I had to get out of there before I phased. I waved good-bye to Ava and then made a mad dash for my car. I drove pack to La Push as fast as I had driven to Forks. Again, hoping that I wouldn't get pulled over. The moment I pulled into my garage, I sat in the car, taking deep breaths, reminding myself I had to be Dr. Seth now. I couldn't be the brokenhearted wolf that I was. I had to remember that my brother was lying in a come and I had to bring on my A-game to keep him alive.

I took a few more deep breaths, turning the car off and making my way to the room where AJ was. Jake was standing over him, Shana off in the corner, crying. That set me off again too. What if it was me? What if I was the one that had been on the table, dying. Would Abby even give a shit?

As fast as that feeling set in, it disappeared. How could she? She didn't know what I was. She didn't get a chance to understand it because I had fucked up. I had one job, to tell her I was a wolf, a guardian, a protector and that I was made to love her. But I couldn't do that right. Instead of doing what I was supposed to do to ensure that we would have a life together, I pushed her away, forced her to leave without getting the chance to explain. And, God knows what's going to happen to me now.

"Abby okay?" Jake asked. Even the sound of her name hurt, a ripple of pain starting in my chest where my heart was supposed to be, and spreading all the way down to my toes.

"She left. Left, left. Left Washington," my voice was flat and there was nothing else I could say. All I could do now was hope I would survive without her. I would do my best to keep my brother alive and when the time came, I would go to the end of the Earth to find Abby.

In the meantime, I had work to do.

**ABBY'S POV**

It took me less than 24 hours to make the drive to Oklahoma and I cried the entire way, stopping only to go to the bathroom and eat. I didn't sleep and I tried hard not to think even, knowing that my life was falling apart in front of me and the only thing I could do was watch. I was lucky for one thing at least, Ginger wanted to come to Forks to be a vet and I needed to go anywhere else. So we traded. I took her practice and she took mine. I didn't tell her why, I didn't tell anyone why I was leaving. Other than Kim, no one knew my secret. At least for the moment.

Chloe was waiting for me, standing on the front porch with a mug of cocoa and open arms. The only thing I could do after all the exhaustion of the last few days was collapse in her arms. Pete and some members of a band recording in the house carried my bags in while Chloe tucked me into a blue and brown bed. She lay down next to me, not saying a word and put her arms around me when I cried.

"I love him so much, Chloe. I couldn't…I had to leave," I sobbed into her chest.

"What happened? Everything seemed so perfect," she said while she rubbed my back. I pulled away so I could see her face. I was about to share my secret and I wanted to see her reaction.

"He told me we needed to talk and then he started rambling about vampires and werewolves," I looked down. "I'm pregnant, Chloe."

She looked me in the eyes, putting a few stray hairs behind my ear. "What's the plan?"

"I'm keeping it. I have to, it's the only thing…" I stopped myself because I didn't know if there was anything to say, to tell her how much I loved Seth and how much I loved the baby I was carrying. "It's only been a day and I miss him. Like, I'm missing a part of me."

Chloe hugged me again. "Well, here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna stay here until the little one makes its debut. I'm gonna call one of my friends that had a baby last November and find out which doctor she went to. You can do this, Abbs. And things seem like they suck right now, but we'll get through it."

I nodded, feeling my eyes getting heavy. Chloe stayed with me until I was long past asleep. I managed to sleep until the next morning when a growling stomach woke me up. I rolled towards the window, looking out on the Oklahoma February morning. I knew it was cold and a light rime covered everything, and while I should've been happy to be _home_, I wasn't. My home wasn't a place, a location on a map, a city or house. My only home was anywhere Seth was and being here felt foreign.

It was a little after eleven and I could feel my body or my baby begging me to feed it. I was slow to walk down the stairs to the kitchen, feeling all the aches and pains of being pregnant and having sat upright in a car for so long that even almost a day of sleep couldn't make me feel better. I scavenged around the refrigerator until I found a can of biscuits, popping them open and preheating the oven. I poured orange juice, knowing I needed the folic acid, and drank it. The house was quiet and felt different to me, different than life had before Seth. It was sad and lonely and after I put the biscuits in the oven, it took everything in me not to crawl back into bed.

"How are you feeling, Abbs?" Pete asked coming in the door from the basement where the recording studio was located.

"Okay," I lied, putting my head on the counter practically counting the milliseconds until my brunch was finished.

"Coco had to take some stuff down to the accountant's office but she'll be back soon. She told me to tell you and I quote, 'you have an appointment at one-thirty and she's going with you whether you like it or not.'"

"Thanks, Pete," I was trying not to talk before a thought popped into my head. "Did she tell you?"

Pete pulled a Red Bull from the fridge and opened it. "Tell me what?" I was debating whether he legitimately didn't know or if he was really good at playing dumb.

"About why I left?"

He shrugged. "She said you and Seth broke up. And that he was a liar whose name is never to be spoken again." He furrowed his brow. "Shit, I just fucked up that part."

"It's fine. I don't think I'll be able to raise a child without ever mentioning its father's name," I scoffed before realizing I too had…fucked up.

Pete's face seemed to change and I knew he got it then, the secretiveness and the fear in my eyes. "You're pregnant?" I nodded. "And you told him and he flipped?"

I shook my head. "I didn't get a chance to tell him. He had already started the break up speech before I could and then he kinda said a lot of lies and I left."

"So he doesn't know?" Pete took a sip of the Red Bull. I shook my head again. "Don't you think you should've told him? I mean, maybe things would've been different if you'd told him."

"And then he would've been with me for the sole purpose that I was carrying his child?" I was starting to feel the emotions kick in and I was starving by this point, about ready to eat the plastic grapes they had sitting in a bowl on the bar. "I'm not that cruel, Pete."

The oven dinged and I pulled the biscuits out. The smell was magnificent, and in a matter of seconds I had the butter and the honey out, drizzling away. Pet watched me and chuckled. "Coco called Ava to let her know you made it. She sounds a little pissed though."

"Pwobably," I said through a mouthful of buttery, honey biscuits.

"Do they know you're pregnant?" Pete grabbed a biscuit and pulled out the grape jelly. He took dollop out of the jar and lathered it on. It looked disgusting, like blood or something spread on a piece of something of bread-like material. It made my stomach roll and I put my hand over it. "Oh, sorry!" Pete turned around quickly.

"It's me, certain things start to make me feel nauseous. And that grape jelly…blah!" I said while Pete chuckled at me.

He finished his biscuit, turning to face me and wiping at his face to make sure he didn't have jelly smudged anywhere. "So, do they know?"

I looked down at my biscuit, trying not to cry. My little sisters were clueless, all they knew was that I left in a hurry, that I didn't give them a real reason. Except Ava. I think she knew, I hadn't told her, but she wasn't an idiot, she could put the pieces together. "No. You and Chloe are the only ones. And my doctor in Forks, but she won't say anything," I suddenly didn't feel so hungry.

"You should eat something else too. I'll make you a sandwich. Babies need meat, right?" Pete turned to the fridge and pulled out a pack of ham and set to making a sandwich. "Nice shirt, by the way."

I glanced down at my "La Push Wolves" hoodie. I'd been completely oblivious to getting dressed in my rushed attempt to get out of town. It was a bit ironic, now that I think of it. It was lies about wolves that had pushed me away to where I was now. _Stupid, Abby._ I'd been dumb enough to think I'd found the person that I was supposed to grow old with, who was supposed to be the father of my children, well, I guess he would be to one. But more than that even. I felt like Seth was what made me…me. I couldn't be myself, I hadn't been myself since my parents died, and he made me _me_. He let me smile again without feeling guilty and let me love him without expecting much in return. But then, he broke that all.

"Why?" I sobbed, leaning my head back on the countertop. I felt my whole body giving out and Pete rushed over to me.

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! Shit," he hugged me. "It was a dumb thing to say. It's a horrible sweatshirt. You should burn it. I'm sorry. You know, I think I have an old Will Rogers High Wildcats hoodie. It's cooler than this one. I'll get it." He let me go and walked away while I put my head in my hands.

"Holy shit, Pete! What'd you do to my Abby?" Vanessa scolded him as she walked in the back door, followed by Sean. Pete came in with the hoodie. That only made me cry harder. I didn't want to take it off…ever. I could smell him on it, I could feel his body in it. I was complete with it on.

"Abby?" Vanessa knelt down in front of me. "What happened?"

"He wants to take my Seth-hoodie away!" I sobbed. It was kind of ridiculous, this reaction but it was almost second nature. My hormones were all over the place. "It's all I have left. A hoodie and a fetus!" I messed with the charm bracelet on my wrist, the charm bracelet Seth had given me. "And a bracelet!"

"Did she say fetus?" Sean asked with a look of total confusion on his face.

I couldn't stop crying, the tears had been stored for a few hours and they were ready to come out. Vanessa held me closer to her, rubbing my back and shushing me. "It's okay, Abby. He won't take your hoodie. I won't let him," she looked up at Pete. "For God's sake, put that away. Sean, get me the Kleenex." I heard him walk off but I kept my grip on Vanessa. We'd not been entirely close growing up. I was always closer to Chloe but the great thing about my cousins was that they always had my back, they were always willing to do whatever they needed to help out. And I was going to need them so much over the next few months. "That's what your appointment is, isn't it?"

I nodded. "I found out a few days ago. I had to leave Forks because Seth didn't want me anymore."

"What do you mean, didn't want you anymore?" she asked, this time pulling back so she could look in my eyes.

"I was going to tell him about the baby and he started breaking up with me," I was getting tired of telling this story, over and over. "And I love him so much, so much."

"I know, Abbs, I know," she didn't say anything else. She just helped me get upstairs and coaxed me out of the hoodie, which she promised she wouldn't wash, so that I could shower. "Do you mind if I go with you and Chloe?"

I shook my head. "Please. I can't do this on my own."

"I heard I missed some sweatshirt drama. You feeling better?" Chloe said, matter-of-factly standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. I nodded. "I've forbidden Pete to speak to you for the next seven months," she giggled. I laughed too.

"It wasn't his fault. It's this child's fault. It likes to mess with my emotions, like a superpower," I managed to smile.

"Alright, then, let's get this show on the road."

It felt nice to have Chloe and Vanessa with me, they both wanted to make sure everything went smoothly and that I was going to be able to adjust and do this. The doctor, Dr. Folger, was nice too, though she wasn't Kim. She asked the same questions and I answered them one by one.

"I would say your little bundle of joy will be here on September 14th," Dr. Folger smiled. "Try to keep the stress level to a minimum right now and get as much rest as you can. The morning sickness should start to pass in a few weeks, too. And, if there's anything you have questions about, please don't hesitate to ask. I want you to be comfortable."

"Thank you," I nodded as she handed me some pamphlets and the name o f a good prenatal vitamin to start taking. I made an appointment to see her again in a month. When we got back to Pete and Chloe's, I went straight to the bedroom, laying down and trying very hard not to think about raising a baby by myself. I was okay with staying with Chloe, but I couldn't stay away from my sisters forever. I missed them.

I rolled over to the bedside table and grabbed my cell phone. I dialed the number quickly and waited for an assault on the other end. But it didn't come. "Abby?" Ava said.

"Yeah, how are you?" I asked, hearing her keep her composure on the other end while I struggled with breathing steadily.

"I'm okay. Seth came by this morning looking for you. I didn't tell him where you were though," she answered, her voice sounding more mature than it should. She shouldn't have to deal with this. I'd promised them I'd never leave and I broke that promise. "Are you okay?"

"I am. How's Ash?" I asked, sitting up higher in the bed.

It was silent on the other end for a minute. "She's pissed at you. More than before, she pretty well told Seth that you were a liar." Ava was quiet in a dramatic fashion for a bit. "I…I have to believe that everything's going to be okay."

"It will be and I promise that, Ave. I owe you both that," I said not being able to make the tears stop. "I'm sorry and I'll explain more to you later, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," she answered with a sigh. "Call me tomorrow, kay?"

"Yep. Be good, okay?" I said before I hung up the phone. I thought about all the things that had happened. It was going to be hard over the next few months, the changes in my body and the constant longing for Seth. But I knew I could do this, I had to. I had my family behind me and with the baby, a part of Seth still with me, and as much as I knew I would face challenges I'd never even thought of before, I was willing to do it for my family…my family that would soon be expanding by one, the most tangible reminder that, at some point, what I felt was real, Seth's love was real.

I stayed in bed for the rest of the day going over plans for taking over Ginger's vet clinic. It was an even trade, really, though she dealt with a lot of rural farms and livestock. I gave myself a week to adjust before I started working. It was different but in a good way.

Within a month, my stomach was growing, my life was slowly starting to piece itself back together but I couldn't shake the absolute emptiness I felt inside. And the dreams, the dreams of Seth turning into a wolf and trying to attack me. It was getting to be ridiculous. But I was determined, still, I could do this. I would do this, and my only hope was that my child would fill the space, his or her father had left in my heart.


	16. Seven Months

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters kinda belong to me.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe. She is a truly amazing author and a fabulous friend. Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. You will not be disappointed.**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at**** liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of clothes and such from this chapter!**

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 21 of Ninadoll's**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. I will tell you that something big is in the works!**

**Also, the second chapter of the Ava spin-off is up. It's called **_**A Love That Defies All Logic**_**. Please be sure to check it out if you haven't already.**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock!**

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**CHAPTER 15: SEVEN MONTHS  
**

**SETH'S POV**

"Seth?" I heard a voice behind me. I didn't turn. I knew who it was, it was the first time I'd seen her in a bit but I knew who it was. "Seth, please look at me." I didn't turn. I had dreams like this, dreams where I would turn around to find that Abby had returned. So when someone called my name like that, I didn't respond. "I brought you lunch and Jake told me he'd give you an Alpha command if you didn't eat."

I turned around slowly to see Nessie standing in the doorway, a Tupperware container in one hand, Griffin on her hip in the other arm. "Now, was that really so hard?" she smiled. I didn't. I didn't smile anymore. I didn't have any reason to.

"Thanks, Ness. You can put it over there," I pointed to an empty spot on the table in AJ's makeshift hospital room in my basement. It had been seven months. It had been seven long, grueling, horrible months and I started to wonder if any of the shit around me would stop or slow down long enough for me to catch my breath.

"You have to eat, Seth. Look at yourself, you've lost a lot of weight and you stopped shaving? Why?" Nessie was like the little sister I never had and there was probably a good reason for that. Almost as much as one of Jake's Alpha commands, Nessie's request could make me stop what I was doing and comply.

"I just don't feel like it anymore," I sighed.

"That's a dumb excuse," she scoffed at me. "Get over here and eat."

I didn't have the strength to argue with her so I did as she said and sat at the table to eat. I could hear the beeps of the heart monitor in the next room so I knew as of now, nothing was happening. To be honest, I was starting to wonder if anything would ever happen. And I wondered why I wasn't the one that got to be in that position. I was practically that empty, without Abby.

"I miss you," I whispered on accident as I pulled the lid from the beef stroganoff, taking a fork to a few noodles and put them in my mouth.

"Have you heard from Abby?" Nessie asked. Anytime Ness asked about her, it was almost like her breathe caught in the words. I knew she missed Abby too. They had been friends. More than that though, Ness was concerned about me because she knew I needed Abby. She knew what it was like to be away from your imprint and I wondered if Abby felt a quarter of the pain I had been enduring. It was kind of a double-edged sword actually. Abby was my imprint so I didn't want her to feel pain but I also wanted her and needed her to feel something so she would know how much I loved her.

"No," I sighed.

"Well, let's get straight to the point. The wedding's tomorrow and you look like crap. Has Sue seen you?" she asked. I knew she was right, I looked like total shit but I was too preoccupied to worry about my appearance.

In the last seven months apart from working, running patrol and getting activated to dispatch more trespassing newborns, I had been at my station next to AJ. And when I wasn't there, I was spending time with Ashley and Ava. Scar brought them over whenever Ashley asked. She was taking Abby being gone harder than anyone else. I knew she talked to her on the phone every now and then but she wouldn't have a full conversation with her and I knew that had to be killing Abby. But Nessie's urgency to get me cleaned up was for a different reason.

"Mom doesn't care what I look like, as long as I'm there to walk her down the aisle." Mom and Charlie were getting married tomorrow, and my only job was to show up, make the walk, and then smile next to Billy as a groomsman. It was easier said than done, though. I was absolutely miserable and I heard Mom ask Jake if he thought I'd even have the strength to shower before the wedding. I couldn't think about showering or shaving when I had such a huge hole in my chest.

"But don't you care what you look like for her? This is a big day for them, Seth. And I know you, and I know how much you love your Mom," Ness was right, of course. I couldn't stand to think of letting my Mom down but I wasn't sure I could do anything right now. "Seth, what would Abby think if she saw you in this condition?"

This actually wasn't the worst of it. Last week was much worse. I walked around for a day with a dull pain throughout my body. I was pretty sure I was dying but alas it wasn't so. She had a point there too. What _would_ Abby think if she saw me right now?

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud squeal and giggle. Griffin was smiling at me and it was so infectious I couldn't help but grin back at him. He reached for me and Nessie put him in my arms. "You're too cute, you know?" I said and I was embarrassed that my enthusiasm couldn't match Griffin's.

"Tell Seth he needs a haircut," Nessie teased. "And to smile again." I handed Griffin back to Nessie. "I'm sorry, Seth, I didn't mean to—."

"No, it's not you, Ness. I miss her so much and I can't help it. What am I supposed to do? I've held off for so long and now I feel so hopeless," I felt myself starting to give up, feeling like I would never have her back.

Ness moved Griffin to her other hip and pulled a chair over to me, sitting down in front of me. "Look at me, Seth." Again, I couldn't help but listen to her. Her eyes were kind and I almost wondered if she was channeling Jasper's power because she looked so much like she could understand me. "I know it's been a long time and I know you miss her. But what if she came back today? Would you want her to see you like this?" And then Nessie touched my cheek and I saw Abby, her face, her eyes, her smile. It was the first time I'd felt so close to seeing her. "She loves you and you two will be together." Ness looked at her watch. "You still have time to get to the barber before he closes. I can stay here with AJ, you take your phone and I'll call if there's even a tiniest change. Please, do this for your Mom and for Abby."

I thought about it for only a millisecond before I realized she was right. If Abby came back today, I would be incredibly ashamed that I had let myself go. I still wasn't sure about leaving AJ though. So I called the person that used to cut my hair when I was younger. "Mom, I need a haircut," I said.

"'Bout damn time, geez," Mom said and I smiled then at her voice. "Let me grab the scissors and I'll be there in five." Ness stayed while Mom cut my hair, I showered and shaved and actually felt better. I felt like there was a little hope left in me. "You look like my son again." She had tears in her eyes when I slipped a shirt over my head.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I know I've been…not myself," I turned to her, ruffling my hair a little. The truth of that matter was, most mothers would put this all on the girl that caused the heartbreak, but it wasn't just her fault. A normal guy would've been able to chase after the girl that ran away but I couldn't and Mom knew that. My duty and responsibility to my pack and my tribe came before anything else. She understood that too.

"The moment this is all resolved, you go get here, Seth. You go get her, you bring her back here, you marry her and you give me lots of grandchildren, you hear me?" Mom pulled me to look at her and kissed my cheek. "I love you and I'm proud of you."

"I love you too, and I'm glad you have Charlie. He's make you happy, right?" I asked, already knowing the answer just by looking at the silly schoolgirl smile on her face at the mere mention of her fiancée's name.

"He sure does, and he makes me feel like I haven't felt since your Dad died," Mom smiled.

"I'm happy for you," I squeezed her hand. "And I can't—."

"Seth!" I heard Nessie yell from downstairs. She was watching AJ while I freshened up and her voice sounded panicked. I picked up my stride and took the steps two at a time as I ran to AJ. "He moved, his hands moved."

I went to check AJ's pupils when his hand grabbed my arm. "That hurt like hell," a weak voice said, holding on tightly to my arm.

"AJ?" I asked while he licked his lips. People weren't supposed to just magically wake up from a coma like that but we weren't normal people, we wolves could very well just magically be okay.

"No, it's Santa Claus. Yeah, it's me, what the fuck happened and where am I?" he was blinking rapidly and looking around. "Is that Griffin?" He looked behind me at Nessie who was holding a sleeping baby in her arms. "Wow, how long have I been asleep?"

I chuckled. "You've been in a coma for about seven months now," I was still looking him over and checking his vitals. He shouldn't be almost perfectly okay, and as much as I hated to be, I was extremely intrigued.

"Well that explains why you look like shit. Did you get hit by a car or something?" AJ raised his arm and rubbed his face.

"Something like that," I sighed and turned to Ness. "Can you call Jake?"

"Already on it," she had her phone up to her ear. Mom took Griffin from her as I continued looking over AJ. In less than fifteen minutes, the Cullens and Jake, as well as Shana and AJ's parents, had made their way to my house. Carlisle seemed just as intrigued as I was and we both examined AJ while Edward and Jake asked and answered questions. It went on for upwards of seven hours, past two in the morning. Mom had left with Alice and Bella to finish a few of the wedding plans for tomorrow evening. Shanna was lying on the bed next to AJ, kissing is chin and cheek and lips when AJ smiled into a kiss then looked at me.

"Thank you for all this, for keeping me alive," AJ said.

"Eh, it's kinda my job. You should really thank Edward, though. He did the hardest work," I nodded to Edward who was talking to Carlisle in the corner.

AJ chuckled but then looked a little too serious. "Is it my fault you couldn't go get Abby?"

I shook my head. It was, a little, but you can't tell that to a man that just woke up after being in a coma for seven long months. "I know where she is, I just haven't been able to go get her. It wasn't just you though, there's been other attacks and the threats of more." I should've been optimistic now because I would eventually be able to go to Oklahoma but right now, I still a lot to protect, and not to mention, a bride to walk down an aisle tomorrow.

I didn't sleep that night. I stayed in the room with AJ and Shanna, just in case something might happen and warned AJ that I didn't want to witness anything happening. Nothing did, although AJ did give me a wicked grin. And before I knew it, it was time to get ready for the wedding. I had been instructed to wear a brown suit with a tan, or as Alice called it "champagne," colored tie. I combed my hair and honestly looked better than I had in months.

"There's someone here to see you," Leah said as I got out of the car at the park in Forks. She pointed over at Ashley who was jumping up and down, smiling a waving. "She has some interesting information to tell you."

I furrowed my brow and walked towards the now eight-year old Ashley. Ava was behind her, both of them smiling wide. "Guess where we're going tonight?" Ashley asked as soon as I walked up. She jumped into my arms and I laughed.

"Where?" I asked.

"To Oklahoma. We're leaving after the wedding!" Ashley smiled but I felt my heart sink. If they were going there, did that mean that Abby had no intention of coming back? Was it for a visit or forever?

"We're just going for a week and then we'll be back," Ava said. "Truth be told, I'm going to try and beg her to come back. I wish you could go with us."

I nodded. "I do too, but I still have things here going on," I said, trying to be vague enough that Ashley wouldn't get the hidden meaning in my words.

"I know," Ava sighed. "Jake said Scar can go with us though. We're driving so we kinda wanted a guy to go with us." I nodded, understanding that.

"I'm sorry. Can I steal my son?" Mom asked with a smile.

"You look like a queen!" Ashley squealed. Mom did look beautiful, her dress matched my tie. She was holding her small bouquet and did a little twirl.

"Why thank you," Mom grinned at Ashley. She turned to me next. "It's time for the big walk. You ready?"

"If you are. I have the Land Rover if you wanna make a break for it," I chuckled.

"Why would she do that? She's all dressed up and Mr. Chief Swan's waiting for her. He's all dressed up too, with a tie on. Mr. Billy Black told him to stop pulling on his tie and he should've made a deal with Alice for a clip on like he did. I don't know what that means but they both laughed," Ashley shrugged and Mom giggled.

"We should go get our seats," Ava took Ashley from me and set her on the ground. "You do look beautiful, Ms. Clearwater."

"Soon to be Swan," Ashley interrupted while Ava pulled her to the seating area.

Leah was waiting for us, her bouquet in one hand, the other on her hip. "Dear God, I thought I was gonna have to tell Charlie you bailed," she scoffed.

"Oh, hush," Mom put her arm in mine while Bella winked and then made her way down the lantern lit path to the area where the judge was marrying Mom and Charlie. Leah was next and then all eyes were on Mom and me. She was breathtaking and everyone gasped as she smiled with each step. I suddenly felt that familiar ache in my chest.

"Who gives this woman to marry this man?" the Judge asked.

"We do," Leah and I said, and I placed Mom's hand in Charlie's waiting open palm. I took my place on the other side of Billy and for the rest of the ceremony, my eyes looked nowhere but at the ground. There were tears and cheers around me but I missed Abby so much at this point, it was like the last 24-hours had never happened. I wasn't concentrated on the vows or anything, my thoughts were wracked with the fact that Abby's sisters were going to see her in less than a day and who knew when I would see her.

"Seth, psst," Bella raised her eyebrows and pulled at my arm. I had missed the whole ceremony, the whole damn thing and Bella had to practically pull me back down the aisle at the end of it. I looked at my watch, reminding myself I just had an hour and I could go back home to wallow in my self-pity. And there would be food, at least there was that consolation. I saw Ava and Ashley leave, Ashley waving and my heart sank even more.

"I told them to pick you up in an hour," a familiar Alpha voice said as he patted me on the back.

"Huh?" I asked.

Jake was standing with his arms crossed next to me, while the others seemed to be chowing down on dinner. "I told them to take you with them. Go, Seth, go get your imprint," Jake said and it took me a minute to figure out if he was being serious of if this was some cruel joke. "Okay, that's not exactly how I expected you to react. I thought you might fall to the ground, thanking me, maybe tell me you owe me for life, but silence I didn't account for."

"Are you serious?" I asked again in total confusion.

"Very. AJ's fine, the wedding's over, and you'll have your phone and a credit card to get a plane ticket if something happens. You deserve this, Seth," Jake was literally beaming now and I was at a loss for words.

"Thank you, I promise I'll only be a phone call away," I started to grab my keys out of my pocket.

"Go get her, Romeo," Jake chuckled and a few of the other wolves joined in.

It was really happening, I was finally going to get the love of my life, my imprint, my soul mate, back for good and I would never let her go.

ABBY'S POV

I was huge, like a whale. I was quite literally about to pop. My body had expanded and expanded but there was nothing else for it to do but give out. I was a day past my due date, September 14th, a change from the first prediction of September 12th, and my sweet little baby wasn't ready to budge. The past week I'd spent with Chloe, riding in the car while she drove over railroad tracks in town, hoping that somehow my water would break. It didn't work. It was hard to believe that so much time had passed and I hadn't seen Seth in over seven months. It wasn't an easy seven months, his face was engrained in my mind and I'd gone through a period of time in April where I didn't sleep because every time I woke up, I expected him to be next to me. He wasn't.

During my time of exile, I called Ava and Ashley everyday. Actually, it was more like I talked to Ava. Ashley didn't speak to me and only occasionally would I hear her say anything in the background. My biggest fear was that in running away to protect myself and my child, I had ruined my sister. I hadn't told Ava I was pregnant, not yet. And at this point, my stomach was growing, it had started to round and any glance at me from any direction, and you would know I was pregnant. I knew I had to tell her but I worried about trusting Ava with that big of a secret. I worried about Seth finding out, I worried about a lot of things. But first and foremost, I knew that I had to tell her.

One rainy May morning, just after ten, her call had rung through my small office. "Ava? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"I needed to talk to you," she said seriously.

"What? What's wrong?" I started to panic.

"Do you remember, after Mom and Dad died, Ash would wake up screaming for them at the top of her lungs?" Ava's voice was low and at a whisper.

"Yeah," I said, knowing whatever it was she was going to tell me couldn't be good. It had taken almost six months to get Ashley to sleep through the night and not scream bloody murder.

I heard a shakiness in Ava's breaths. "Last night, she woke up, screaming for you. She just kept screaming 'Abby! Abby!' and you weren't there. You weren't here to wake her up and hold her and tell her she was alright. And I…I'm so angry at you right now, Abbs. I hate you for running away and leaving us. You promised…" She was crying now and so was I. I was angry at myself too. I wasn't sure what to do or how to make this better and my heart ached because I had effectively ripped my family apart.

"Ava," I said through my tears. "There's something I need to you tell you, about me. About why I left."

"What?" she sniffled.

"I…I'm pregnant, Ave," I said softly and her breath caught.

"Then why the hell are you there? Why aren't you and Seth together, building a family? You don't know what it's been like since you left," Ava was forceful with her words and I almost felt like giving in and running back to Washington.

"Because. You didn't hear him, Ava. When he was talking to me that night. All this shit about wolves and vampires and, ugh!" I groaned just thinking of it, before rubbing my baby bump. "He was breaking up with me."

"I don't know about that, I don't think he was," she answered me.

I took a deep breath, for a moment forgetting all Seth had said to me that night to make me leave, thinking for a minute that maybe I should go back. Maybe it was going to be okay, but then the seriousness in his voice that night slipped in, and the phone calls, and the late night/early morning meetings and it was all gone.

"He was. And he…I love him, Ava. I will never love any other man as long as I live. Seth Clearwater is it for me. But I can't tell him, 'hey, I'm having your kid so all that stuff you were getting at, ain't gonna work for me.' He doesn't want me anymore, and I love him enough to let him find his happiness." It was a thought that did make me cry, but not as hard as it used to. And I think that's because of one simple fact. One day, my child would ask me the same questions Ava had just asked. And I would have to tell him or her why I left, and it was just that simple. I loved him enough to save him from having to be with me when he clearly didn't want me anymore.

There was a pregnant pause between us. "When are you due?" she asked.

"September," I answered, looking out at the now May rains in Oklahoma. It was a different rain from the rain I'd come to love in Washington, but every drop reminded me of what I was missing. "I can't come back, Ava, and I need you to help Ashley. I don't want her to hate me, but I can't come back. I…" I was crying softly, rubbing my stomach to remind me what I was fighting for.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" Ava sounded a little calmer.

"I find out later the first of June. I think it's a boy but Chloe and Vanessa think it's a girl," this had become the common argument amongst the three of us lately.

"Does GamGam know?"

I sighed. "I'm showing, Ava. You can tell I'm pregnant. She knows, she doesn't really say much about it. She's kinda like everyone else, she loved Seth and she doesn't get it."

"You don't either," Ava blurted out and I could practically see her shaking her head at me. "You don't know what he's like now." I wanted to believe her. That this was as hard on him as it was on me, but I couldn't let myself feel anything on that level. My main concern right now was the precious cargo I was carrying.

"I'm sorry, Ave but I don't know what to do. I have to stay here at least until the baby's born. Then we'll see. I wanna come back. I miss it, I miss you guys, very much, you have no idea how hard this is for me, knowing I'm going to have a fatherless baby that doesn't know how awesome its aunts are," I cried soft tears while Ava giggled on the other end. I heard a door shut in the background.

"Okay, Scar's here and he's taking us out to La Push to see baby Griffin," she said and I immediately freaked out.

"You can't tell anyone, Ava. Not Ashley, not Ginger, not Tess, they can't know, not yet," I begged.

"Relax, your secret's safe with me," she sighed. "I'll call you tomorrow. Take care of yourself and my baby, okay?" I laughed, _her baby_.

"I will. Give Ash hugs for me, okay?" I asked.

"I will, bye Abbs," and before I could say bye back, she hung up. I cried the whole day, hiding under my desk, and eating a whole carton of Cookies N' Cream ice cream.

The next major event occurred in the beginning of June when I found out the sex of the baby. It honestly didn't matter to me, I knew I already loved it no matter what, but it would make decorating and buying clothes a lot easier, so I gave in. And, for the record, I was right.

"Here's the spine…this is the hand and that right there," the ultrasound technician said as she stared at the screen. "That's his penis."

"Where?!" Vanessa squealed pushing Chloe out of the way to look at my baby boy's reproductive organs. "It is! Oh, Abby! Look, it's a boy!" I took a deep breath and smiled. He was beautiful even through a black and white mixture of mush that I couldn't really understand, but he was perfect and he was mine.

As soon as I got home, I scanned the ultrasound pictures and sent them to Ava with a short message. "You're having a nephew!" I anxiously waited for her response but it came in the form of a squealing phone call. She was excited and that made me a little happier. It was hard to think of her and Ash being so far away, and I worried about raising my son without my sisters. I wanted them to be around to help me, but things were a little too complicated and thinking about it stressed me out and stress was something I was supposed to be avoiding.

Things progressed normally through the rest of the pregnancy. For the most part, my sense of smell had been a little heightened but there was nothing unusual about it. Until one day in my seventh month, when I was driving to a farm west of the city to help with the delivery of a calf. It was difficult to do some things with a giant belly and delivering a cow was one of them. Not to mention, I was thoroughly lost and it was raining. I pulled into a convenience store with the hopes of getting directions but the moment I stepped out of the car, my stomach churned. It was the same feeling I had felt the day I met Griffin. It was sweet, too sweet and for the first time since my morning sickness had disappeared, I leaned over to vomit next to the tires of my car.

"You alright, ma'am?" a voice said beside me, almost in my ear, startling me as I hadn't seen anyone else outside. The person took my hand and I blinked hard at the coolness of it. I looked up into the eyes of the stranger and felt the bile rise up again. He had red contacts on, dark red like the color of my car.

"Yes, I-I-I'm…sometimes certain smells get to the baby," I stood completely and straightened out my maternity scrubs to show my stomach. There was something about this black haired, red eyed man that scared the living shit out of me and I hoped that maybe, whatever sinister things he had planned would be spared if he knew I was pregnant.

"I can understand that," he answered politely, taking a step back.

"Can you tell me how to get to the Brandon farm?" I asked.

The man gave me directions and I was all too happy to be on my way. I didn't feel sick like that again, ever. I laughed at my wild imagination, but I never forgot the eyes on that man. Two months later, it gives me the hibby jibbies just thinking about it and I let out a shiver.

"Is it time?!" Vanessa asked, thinking my present-day shiver over the past incident with the red eyed stranger was an indication that I was giving birth.

"No, I was just remembering something," I giggled. Vanessa and Chloe were my birth coaches, both helping me every step of the way, just like they promised. Today was a dreary, rainy day and we were lounging around watching the History Channel. Aunt Shannon was in the kitchen, busy making us French toast. While I relay the most on Vanessa and Chloe, my whole family was intent on taking care of me. The only one who didn't know of my "condition," was Aunt Lydia and I resolved to wait until my baby boy was at least eighteen before telling her.

"Man, I think we're going to have to give that kid an eviction notice," Chloe chuckled. "You hear that, Baby Liam?"

That was the name I had picked out for my son: Liam Seth. Liam was my father's middle name and meant "strong-willed warrior." My hope for him was that he would be just that, strong-willed and ready to fight because things in his life would not be easy. But I also wanted him very much to be able to love, love deeply and completely, like I had.

I had been having contractions for a week now, but nothing was happening. We were all ready to meet my prince but he was having none of that. I guess, in a way, he was already strong-willed. I closed my eyes and felt my eyes get heavy. I don't know how long I was asleep but I woke up with one hard contraction.

"Ahhh…" I groaned, grabbing my stomach.

"Abbs?" Chloe asked.

I leaned forward to pick myself up, and felt a gush of liquid run down my legs. "Oh, dammit! I think…My water…it's time," I groaned. "I stained your rug." I looked desperately at Chloe who was now laughing.

"Seriously? You think I'm worried about a rug? I'm about to become a great cousin and you're worried about the rug?" she was still laughing.

Vanessa had gone to get my bag and we all practically ran to the car, Vanessa driving faster than I'd seen anyone possibly drive. It was kinda useless too because as soon as I got to the hospital, I was told it would be awhile before anything major happened. So I walked the halls with my cousins and Aunt, pausing for contractions and when the time was right, I was given the epidural, feeling so much better.

Three hours later, around 7:30, after hours of waiting, the doctor checked me one last time announcing it was time to push. The stirrups were raised and Dr. Folger smiled while my legs were placed in them.

"Can you call Ava? Just let her know what's happening?" I asked Aunt Shannon, trying to remain calm but failing.

"Of course, sweetie," Aunt Shannon kissed my cheek and headed out of the room.

"Okay, are you ready?" Dr. Folger asked. I nodded and took a breath through my teeth.

It was blur of activity around me, Vanessa and Chloe both counting and encouraging me, and with each push, my body felt like it might give out a little more. But I was determined, I could do this. I had to do this because my son was the last piece of Seth I had and I needed to hold him in my arms. The first dozen pushes felt like nothing was happening. They got closer together and I knew it was time.

"One more push and the head should be out," the doctor smiled again and with the last bit of strength I could muster, I pushed. "Okay, stop pushing." A moment of time passed while the doctor worked. "One small push." And like magic, his cry filled the air. It was loud and strong and the most perfect cry I'd ever heard. "Congratulations, you have a son." She rubbed him with a blanket, cutting the umbilical cord and then placed his shivering body on my chest as he continued to scream.

"Hello, my Liam," I said, kissing his forehead. "You…look so much like your Daddy." I looked at Chloe with tears in my eyes. Liam's skin was just a tad lighter than Seth's and his eyes weren't open but I could already see so much of his father in him and it made me hold him just a little tighter, my son, the spitting image of his father and now the only other boy who would hold my heart.


	17. Liam

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby and the O'Brien sisters kinda belong to me.**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing and creating the universe. I would seriously be lost without her guidance and friendship. Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. You will not be disappointed.**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of stuff from this chapter!**

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 22 of Ninadoll's**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. When I read it to beta it, I sat at my desk at school and cried, it's just that good.**

**And…Nina and I have both been nominated for a Pup and Leech Award. Voting starts March 1****st**** at http://thepupandleechawards{dot}webs{dot}com/ We would both really appreciate your votes! **

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys are the most awesome!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: LIAM**

**ABBY'S POV**

He was the most amazing sight I'd ever laid eyes on. He was small and warm and the spitting image of his father. And he was all I had left of the man whom I loved, the man who decided that he did not love me back. I was okay with it really. I got to have Liam, and I left Seth with nothing that might remind him of me. It was a fair trade.

"Is he Native American?" the nurse asked, filling out paperwork next to me. One look at the little baby in my arms would tell you he was. His dark raven hair, his skin with a slight tinge of copper, already he was handsome.

"Yes," I answered.

"Cherokee?" A probable assumption since a lot of people here in Oklahoma were.

"No, Quileute," I told her, never taking my eyes off my baby.

"Huh, I've never heard of that tribe before. They from Osage County?"

"No, Washington," I was getting annoyed with all the questions.

"Washington County, like by Bartlesville?"

"No," I added the word 'dummy' in my mind. "Washington State. Like the Pacific Northwest."

"Oh, geez, how do you spell that?" I spelt the word for her and then waited as she went over some of the other information. "Name?"

"Liam Seth O'Brien," I answered still watching the baby who was suckling at my breast.

"Mother's full name, place of birth and occupation?"

"Abigail Blythe O'Brien, Oklahoma City, Veterinarian," I sighed.

"Father's full name, place of birth and occupation?"

"Seth Andrew Clearwater, La Push, Washington, Physician," I could hear the change in her tone as she looked at me.

"Ooh, is he here?"

"No, he's in Washington. Can I sign the birth certificate without him?" She nodded then handed me the paper to sign then left.

I held Liam close to me and ran my fingers over his nose. It's a beautiful nose, Seth's nose. He had a full head of hair, too. He hadn't opened his eyes too much but the little time he did, they were dark, almost black.

"I love you, Liam," I felt my tears roll down my cheeks. This was real, very real.

"Knock, knock," a voice said, opening the door. A head of red hair popped in. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" GamGam Gallagher said as she walked in the room. "He's so tiny and perfect." She walked towards us and leaned down over Liam.

"Liam, say hello to GamGam Gallagher," I whispered to the baby and kissed his forehead. GamGam took his tiny frame into her arms as Aunt Shannon rushed in to help her sit.

"How are you feeling, Abby?" Aunt Shannon asked me with concern in her voice.

"Okay. My doctor said I can go home tomorrow. Ava and Ashley are coming the day after," I rambled with a yawn. Aunt Shannon came to sit on the edge of my bed and looked at me.

"That's not what I meant," she whispered. And for the first time in months, even more than when I felt Liam move for the first time, or found out I was having a boy, my heart ached for Seth. I had done well with only a few tears but I couldn't lie to the women in the room with me.

"I miss him so much…I feel…" I couldn't stop the sobs as they wracked my body.

"Then call him, Abigail," GamGam said holding Liam.

I shook my head. "It's not that easy, not now." Aunt Shannon wiped the tears from my eyes and moved to sit up closer to me. She hugged me and let me cry a little longer while Liam stirred in GamGam's arms.

"Liam, what do you think?" GamGam held him up to look at him. "You are your father's son, you even have his beautiful little nose, don't you?" I watched my grandmother cuddle her great-grandson. "Maybe Mommy should stay here for a little bit longer and then take you to meet him." She looked up at me and I wasn't sure what to say to that. I wanted to jump on that idea and run to Washington that very minute, but I had a lot to figure out first, especially knowing that I might have to deal with the rejection of our son as well as me. So I decided I wouldn't make any rash decisions until I was completely sure of what to do.

Liam and I were released the next day and we continued our stay with Chloe and Pete, though I hadn't decorated a room for him, hoping we'd either go back to Washington or move into our own house. I'd instead settled for a bassinet that stayed next to my bed and I usually fell asleep with my hand on it or holding onto Liam's just to know he was there. He slept most of the day, only opening his eyes occasionally to reveal chocolate brown orbs almost identical to Seth's. He didn't cry so much either, only letting out a little whimper as if to say, "Excuse me, I have a problem here." I spent most of my time in bed, trying to finish up the last bits of healing and relishing the feeling of motherhood.

The next thing I had to look forward to was the arrival of Ava and Ashley. I hadn't seen them in seven months and I couldn't wait for them to meet Liam. He was so precious and I knew that without a doubt they would fall head over heels for him. I felt a little guilty too, and hoped that I could use my son to win Ashley back over.

"We're on our way," Ava said, sounding so excited that I couldn't help but smile. "Don't get mad, kay, but we have an extra passenger."

"Who?" I started to freak out, wrestling with whether I was excited it might be Seth or scared that it might be Seth.

"Scar. We didn't really wanna drive all that way by ourselves, so he volunteered to come with. Isn't that cool?" Ava sounded a little off too, like she was hiding something.

"Oh," I didn't really know what to say. I didn't want to make it sound like I was ungrateful that Scar had volunteered to come and protect my sisters on the long drive, but I worried that he might say something to Seth and the worry was getting to me.

"Stop worrying Abby. It's not good for you. Listen, we're going to stop in Denver to stay the night, so expect us in a day and a half. We were a little late leaving, we decided to stay at the wedding a little longer," Ava said the last sentence a little too fast for my liking.

"Whose wedding?" I asked, knowing that she hadn't said a word about any weddings when I'd talked to her earlier.

"Um, Sue and Charlie got married," Ava said, again way too fast. I had to admit my heart sank a little at that. I knew Seth had to have been amazing with his Mom and I was a tiny bit jealous. I had always thought about when Seth and I got married and I started to feel myself want to cry.

I lifted my baby boy from his bassinet sitting up a little more in the bed. "Did you see him?" I didn't have to say his name. She knew who I was talking about.

"Yeah. I told you he wasn't doing well. He walked his Mom down the aisle and he looked better than he has in, oh, seven months," Ava sounded bitter now.

"Can we not…not now," I closed my eyes as Liam latched onto my breast.

Ava sighed. "Okay. We'll see you in awhile."

"Be careful and I love you," I said before hanging up the phone and burping Liam.

Ava sent a text message when they left Denver and I really started to kick it up into high gear. I was a nervous wreck all day, carrying Liam with me everywhere. Chloe and Pete had gone to Los Angeles for a meeting with a band they had just signed and not only was I waiting for Ava and Ashley, it was also the first time I was completely alone with Liam. And, it scared the shit out of me. It was easy when I had other people there to help me out and Vanessa AND Aunt Shannon were just a phone call away but it was just me and Liam now in this big house, and I worried that something might happen and I would have no clue of what to do.

I gave Liam a bath, dressed him in a tiny outfit with a green alligator on it and made sure he got all his naps in. Then I showered and dressed myself when the final phone call came.

"We're in Guthrie, we should be there in a little more than thirty minutes," Ava said excitedly over the phone. "Are you excited?" She giggled and I could hear the giddiness in her voice.

"We'll be waiting," I said.

I heard Liam stir. It was time for his final feeding before I knew my sisters would be here. I leaned into the bassinet, Liam's eyes wide open and looking around. "Hello my baby Liam," I cooed pulling him out and laying him on my chest.

He was always eager when it came to eating and I never had a problem getting him to latch on, good for him, meaning he was eating enough, bad for me, meaning my nipples were tender. I'd decided it was worth it though. Liam settled in as I hummed and swiped a few hairs off his forehead. He made the most interesting noises when he ate, indescribable even, a little like a soft hum. It was relaxing to me, as well as him and I closed my eyes.

I heard the car pull up and the doors open and shut. I smiled while I continued with Liam's dinner. The front door opened and I heard loud steps on the stairs. "Ava?" I said, not hearing an answer. I slowly opened my eyes not finding my sister but someone else entirely. "Seth…"

**SETH'S POV**

When Jake told me to go, I couldn't get my stuff together quick enough. I'd convinced Ava and Scar that it was better for us to take my Land Rover than Ava's Volkswagen. I bounced in my seat almost the entire way, wishing and hoping that we could get there faster.

"Are we there yet?" Me, in Boise.

"Are we there yet?" Me, in Cheyenne.

"Are we there yet?" Me, in Denver.

"Stop asking. Abby says if you ask, it just makes the trip that much longer," Ashley said in her sage eight-year old voice.

"Are we there yet?" Me in Wichita.

"Boys," Ashley said, shaking her head. "They never listen." And then, finally, like a beacon of light in a dark sky, the city, Oklahoma City, came into view. I soaked in every detail of everything we saw as we passed signs and buildings. This was Abby's and I wanted to know everything I could about it. "That's the capital. It has a Native American on the dome. His name is 'The Guardian.' Like you. He looks out over his people in the state to make sure they're okay." Ashley's smile made me wonder if she knew about our secret but she just grinned.

When we pulled up to the house, I practically threw the car door open, bounding out, reaching the front door and pushing it open and was hit with a different scent. It was Abby's but it was mixed with a new scent, as well. Like cinnamon and pine. What if she had found someone else? What if this new scent was him?

I couldn't stop myself from going up the stairs though. I felt that familiar pull for the first time in months. Then I heard her sweet voice humming as I rounded the corner, following the sound to her doorway and there she sat, in a rocking chair, her eyes closed, and in her arms, covered slightly by a blanket was a squirming blue bundle.

"Ava?" she asked. I couldn't move. I could only stare and feel my heart speed up as I looked at her and the bundle in her arms. Before I could say anything, Abby whispered my name. "Seth…" She looked shocked and scared but relieved as I looked at her and swallowed hard.

"What is that?" I asked, motioning to the bundle.

Abby looked away from me. Her eyes on the blanket as she pulled it back further to reveal a mess of black hair and the most perfect little ears. "A baby."

I got closer to it, not really sure what to do. "Is it…" Nothing else would come out as I looked at the baby.

"Yes, he's your son," she whispered but wouldn't look at me. I fell to my knees, feeling my body start to shake a little. This was not good, I was about to lose it, the thought of this baby, my baby, my son, being kept a secret. How could she not tell me?

I wanted to say "Prove it!" but there was no need, the baby looked too much like me to have any doubts. He was eating and squirming, making gurgling noises. "What's his name?" I asked, crawling until I was eye level with him, trying hard not to look at Abby's breast.

"Liam Seth," she said softly, running her fingers over his hair.

"Clearwater?" I asked.

She shook her head. "O'Brien."

The shaking returned. "What?" I spat. I was seething, my teeth gritted.

For the first time, Abby looked directly into my eyes, biting her lip and wiping a few tears. The baby pulled away from her breast and I scooped him up. Abby had a panicked look on her face. "Stop!" she yelled. "What are you doing?"

"I'm holding my son, goddamnit!" I yelled, directly in her face and she cowered back adjusting her gown.

"Please don't hurt him," she cried moving to me.

"Why the fuck do you think I'd hurt him? Because, oh, I don't know, I had no clue he existed until just now? How the fuck could you keep that from me, Abigail?" I looked at the baby in my arms who hadn't made a noise but looked up at me a little alarmed. "I would never hurt m-my ch-child." I stuttered on the last two words. I was a father, I had a child. This was my son, and he was so tiny and precious and fragile. And here I was, standing in a room, yelling at his mother. I turned to her. "You and I have a shitload of stuff to talk about."

"Can I get him to sleep and then we can talk? Please," Abby's voice was panicked still and I felt a little sorry for reacting the way I did but how could I not? I nodded, handing Liam to her. She rocked him in her arms and hummed until I saw his body relax and she placed him in a bassinet next to the bed. "Let me get the monitor."

I grabbed her hand as she reached out to grab it. "You don't need to. If he cries, I'll hear it."

She looked at me confused but didn't question me. I wasn't sure where the other passengers had gone until we reached the bottom of the stairs. As soon as I saw the look on their faces, I knew. They had known, Scar and Ava, and neither one said a thing. The tremors started again as Scar stepped forward.

"Backyard?" he asked Abby and she motioned towards a door. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards it, almost throwing me into the yard.

I turned around to Abby and unleashed. "How could you? How could you fucking leave me for seven months?"

I don't know what it was I expected from Abby, "Me? You were the one breaking up with me! All your lies about 'I'm a wolf'!"

"Did you know you were pregnant when you left?" I asked trying to control myself. "Did you?" I don't know why I asked again, the guilt permeated her and I knew without a doubt.

"I found out that day. And then when you started the whole speech, I knew you didn't want me anymore, I didn't know what to do. I was going to tell you but—"

"But nothing! I don't care if I had told you I was the Lucky Charms Leprechaun, that's my child, Abigail. A real living being and you kept him from me! Do you know what I've been doing for the last seven months?" I felt Scar's hand on my shoulder and as I shoved it off, the final tremor ripped through me, my body gave way and my hands turned to giant paws just as Scar slammed into me.

_Seth, you better fucking watch it. You were pretty damn close to her when you phased! I know you're pissed now, but you'd be even more pissed if you hurt your imprint, _Scar reasoned and I knew he was right.

I turned to see Abby's face, her eyes wide as she looked at me. "Sandy…Oh, my God. You weren't…you were telling me the truth…You really are…and they do exist…" Her body slumped and Ava's arms caught her as I realized she'd fainted.

"Way to go, asshole," Ava sneered while she held Abby. "I know you're pissed and all, but you need to get a grip. Don't you think this was hard for her? She fucking carried a baby and gave birth without you, all because she thought you didn't want her. She though you were finished with her and she loved you enough let you go! You can be mad, but don't you fucking hurt my sister, got it?" Ava's words were so venomous, I wasn't sure what to do and I thought about my son upstairs, snug in his bed. The happy thought let me relax enough to phase back.

Abby was still out cold and I took her from Ava carrying her in the house.

"Oh my God! Seth and Scar are naked!" Ashley yelled hiding her eyes. Ava didn't seem phased in the least as she grabbed two pairs of sweatpants from my bag and threw them at us. I gently placed Abby on the couch, looking at her as I slipped them on.

"Ash, why don't you go upstairs and look in the brown room?" Ava smiled as Ashley skipped off. She turned to me. "So what? Now that you know you don't love her anymore?"

I scoffed. "I'm bound to her. As a wolf, fate chose her for me so I can't not love her, because someone in this fucked up cosmic universe thought our genes fit together."

"But you don't love her? It changes that quickly?" Ava asked as I heard Ashley squeal and then run down the stairs.

"There's a baby up there!" Ashley hopped up and down. "A real live baby! And it has black hair and brown skin! It looks like you guys!" She grinned, spinning to point at Scar and me.

"Yeah, that's Abby and Seth's baby," Ava said gently, watching Ashley very closely.

"But Abby and Seth aren't married. You can't be a Mommy and Daddy unless you're married," Ashley looked at me. "That's your baby?"

I scoffed. "Apparently." Scar's fist met my jaw, catching me by surprise. Everything went black and I was out.

I woke up to soft fingertips on my brow and the same humming from before. My head felt like it was about to explode and as I remembered the punch I couldn't figure out how it'd knocked me out like that. I slowly opened my eyes to see Abby and the blue bundle next to me.

"Scar, can you help me?" she said. Scar come from behind me and lifted me by the arms. We both just sat, looking at one another for a good five minutes. "I missed you so much," she was the first to break the silence and I wanted to give in and hold her and kiss her but then I looked at our child in her arms and shook my head. "So you're really a wolf?"

"I wasn't lying if that's what you're asking," I was snippy with her.

She nodded. "And vampires are real?"

"Yeah. The Cullens are vampires," I cleared my throat. Abby grabbed a bottle of water from the table next to me and handed it to me.

"I'm sorry, Seth. I know I can say it a million times and I know it won't be enough but—"

"You're right. It won't be enough," I snapped and Abby looked down. "Can I hold my son?" She didn't say anything, just shifted him to gently place him in my arms. His eyes were open now and they were big and brown. They were my eyes, but more than that, they were my Dad's eyes. "He has my Dad's eyes."

"They look just like yours," she whispered. I wanted to snap at her again but I didn't. I could see the hurt and pain in her eyes. Scar remained in the room as I held Liam, nuzzling him every now and then.

And that's how it went for the next day and a half. It was tense, Abby apologized, I snapped at her and said mean things. I couldn't help it, I was pissed. There was nothing to make it okay. That's just how it was. Then, on the second night, when everyone else was in bed, and Abby had put Liam in his bassinet, I decided I would listen.

She came down the stairs with a tired look in her eyes, going to the kitchen. I followed her as she grabbed a can of soup from the cabinet. I walked towards her and took it from her hand. "Let me. You sit," I almost dictated. She didn't argue though, she just sat.

The only noise that filled the air for a bit was the soft scraping of the spoon on the bottom of the pot as I stirred. "I know you hate me but I still love you with every fiber of my being. I'm so, so sorry that I did this, that I ruined us but I was so scared and I thought…"

"I would've come after you, if things had been different but they weren't. AJ was in a coma and I had to stay," I poured the soup into a bowl and sat it in front of Abby. I sat next to her on the barstool, watching as she took a sip. I wanted to hate her, I really did. But deep inside, it didn't matter that she was my imprint, that she'd kept this secret from me, we were still a family. She was still the only woman I loved and I wouldn't ever stop. "Why didn't you call at least?"

"I though you were finished with me, Seth. I didn't want to burden you," she took another sip.

I shook my head, raising my voice. "Didn't you think I deserved to know?"

She nodded. "And everyday that went by, I thought of a thousand and one ways to tell you but when it came down to it, I didn't want to make you stay with me just because we had a child together."

I shook my head again, taking a deep breath and trying really hard to suppress my shaking. "You don't understand, Abby. I can't _not_ love you. You're my imprint, okay?" She looked at me confused. "For us wolves, the universe picks out soul mates for us. All it takes is one look and we're completely bound to that person." I could see Abby thinking and I knew she would take this bad.

Her voice was slightly louder now too. "So you never really loved me? You were only forced to love me because of some wolf thing?"

I growled. "It started out that way, but I fell in love with you. You were more than my imprint. I chose you to be the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I just had a little push from fate at the beginning."

She stopped eating and pushed the bowl away. "And all that changed? The minute you saw Liam, the minute you realized I hadn't told you, even though it was because I thought I was protecting you, you stopped loving me? Not the imprint love, the real love, the kind you genuinely felt for me?"

"No. I'm mad, don't get me wrong, but I can't just stop loving you. How could I? We have a child together! A family! And as much as I want to hate you, I can't because goddammit, I just love you too much!" I yelled and almost immediately, Abby's lips were on mine, her arms wrapped around my neck as we melted into each other in an angry, desperate kiss. My hand grabbed at her breast as she hissed and pushed it away. It didn't matter, I let my hands find her hair instead and her hands ran down my chest and then back up.

"I love you so much, Seth, and I'm so- I can't tell you how much I wish I could go back and change this," she kissed me again and I found that all the hate I had in me vanished. I had held out for two days, snapping at her, bullying her but I knew, in that kiss, in that look in her eyes, she was the only person I wanted to hold and love, she was truly sorry and so was I. Truth be told, had I not fucked up the whole explanation I could've saved us all from this. But I didn't and then a series of events unfolded that all were against us. And yet here we were, in each other's arms. I sucked on her bottom lip as a small cry rang through the air.

"Liam," I smiled against her lips. "I'll get him."

"You don't have to, I can get him," she held onto me.

I chuckled. "Why don't we go get him together?" I helped her off the stool and pulled her to me. "I love you, Abigail. You know that, right?"

She nodded to me and hugged me tight. "I love you too." I kissed her forehead. "Will you tell me more…in the morning about the wolf stuff? I really wanna know and I'm sorry I didn't…" I could hear her voice get shaky and I pulled her away to kiss her gently.

"Hey, let's make a deal. No more 'I'm sorry's'. No more talking about what we could've done. The only thing that matters is that we're together now and we can be a family," I kissed her again. "And the first thing I want to do, if it's okay with you, is changing Liam's last name. I want him to be a Clearwater."

"Of course," she lay her head on my chest and I leaned down, scooping her up bridal style and carrying up to her bedroom where Liam was fussing in his bassinet. I sat her down on her feet and then I picked up the baby.

"What seems to be the problem, son?" I asked, looking in his eyes as he stopped crying and stared at me. "You know, I never would've thought the name Liam would work for a Quileute baby but it seems to suit you just fine." I chuckled, cradling the baby as Abby hopped on the bed. "Where'd you get his name?"

Abby smiled at me. "Liam was my Dad's middle name. It means 'strong-willed warrior.'"

"Really? You know, we wolves, we see ourselves as warriors?" I asked.

I sat next to her, holding our son while she lay her head on my shoulder. "It makes sense." I kissed her lips as Liam started to fuss again. "I think he probably needs a clean diaper."

"Oh, well, in that case," I chuckled, handing her back to Abby who slid off the bed and carried Liam over to the changing table.

"I wanted him to have your name, to have a part of you," she said softly. "But I didn't want you to think that you had an obligation to us so I didn't give him your last name. It was stupid but things were crazy."

"I know," I walked up behind her and slid my hands down her stomach and kissing her neck. "I missed your scent." Without thinking, I started to suck on the skin above her collar bone. I heard her breathing change and she rolled her head back, keeping her hand on Liam.

"Seth…" she moaned. "We…we can't do that. Liam sleeps next to the bed and he's…only a week old." I understood what she meant. I wanted her, wanted to claim her as mine again but that would have to wait.

After she changed Liam's diaper and fed him again, I decided it was time to shower and clean myself up for the night. I thought about the last few days and knew that things were on the path to redemption. We were both willing to atone for our sins and mistakes and as I walked out, dressed only in my boxers, Abby was sitting up in the bed next to Liam's bassinet. She smiled at me as I tousled my hair. "Alright, good night. I'll see you in the morning," I leaned down to kiss her but she threw her arms around my neck.

"I've been without you for seven months, Seth. Sleep in here…please," she whispered. I didn't say anything, I just slid my way up the bed and lay down next to her. She cuddled into my side and I fell into deep sleep for the first time in months.

The next morning, I woke up first. I knew Abby had woken up several times in the night to feed Liam but I had managed to sleep through it. I looked at my phone. One text message from Jake. _Expect a council meeting over the phone at 4. We have a problem. _. I texted back, acknowledging this text, but I knew, after seeing AJ in a coma for seven months, that another attack was on the horizon, things were dangerous right now. And I looked down at Abby, her head on my chest, and I knew what I needed to do. I needed her and my son, and her sisters. I needed to know that it would be okay, no matter what happened. I heard Liam stir next to the bed and I grinned. I couldn't help but be over the moon. I lay Abby back and got up, going to Liam. I picked him up as he cooed at me. "You know who I am, don't you? You know Daddy's got you? I love you, Liam, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your Mommy," I kissed his head and remembered what I'd snuck into my bag before I left. With one arm, I unzipped the bag and held the black velvet box in my hand. "You wanna help me with this, Liam?"

"Seth?" Abby moved behind me.

"Yeah, I'm right here," I flipped on the lamp next to the bed. "Liam and I have a present for you." I said, moving closer to sit on the bed next to Abby who was trying to sit up.

"What?" she furrowed her brow in the cutest way.

"You wanna give Mommy her present?" I asked my son as I placed the box on his stomach and passed him to Abby.

"What is…wait, is this…" Abby stuttered and I loved the fact that I could do that to her. I took her hand and laid Liam in between us on the bed.

"Liam and I wanted to ask you a question. See, I've had this ring for a very long time waiting to give it to you. And then this morning, when I was laying in bed Liam told me that he wanted us to be a real family. Together, him, you, me, Ava, Ashley, Sadie," I licked my lips and saw her staring at me, tears in her eyes. "And I can't very well not give him what he wants." I moved closer still. "Especially when I want it so bad too. So I guess what I'm asking, what I've wanted to ask for more than seven months is if, you and I, if we could get married? If you would be my wife?"

Abby's eyes were filled to the brim with tears but she smiled, not even taking a minute to think. "Yes, forever, our family," and her lips met mine as I heard a squeal in the hallway.

"They're getting married! They're getting married!" Ashley sing-songed, her feet skipping along the hallway.

"I have something else I need to tell you though," I took a deep breath and prepared myself for whatever might happen next. "The reason I couldn't come after you was because Valentine's night, we were attacked by a huge group of newborn vampires. Newborns are very dangerous and have no control. One of them bit AJ and he was in a coma the entire time you were gone because Vampire venom is fatal to us wolves. It took all our effort to keep him alive until we could think up a way to save him. I'm telling you this because the threat always exists for attacks. But right now it's worse than ever."

"Why? What's happened?" Abby asked. I picked the ring from the box and slid it on her ring finger with a smile as she held Liam.

"Somebody's creating these newborns and sending them our way. I don't know why exactly. Jake's gonna give us a call this afternoon to discuss the latest details. Kind of a council meeting. But I'm telling you this because I don't think we should have a long engagement," I looked at her. "I think as soon as we get back to Washington, we should get married. I can ask Alice to put a wedding together for us—"

"A wedding is the last of my concerns, Seth. I'm content to go to the courthouse, but at this exact moment I'm freaking out a little."

"Don't, not yet. We don't know the specifics yet, I just know that I want us to be official, within the week if you're okay with that?" I asked and she nodded.

"Of course," we kissed.

Much later, as I held Abby in my arms, kissing her forehead, I heard Liam make a sound that resembled a chuckle. I laughed and pulled Abby closer. "My Mom is going to fall in love with him."

"Hmm…" Abby sighed. "I hope they don't all hate me."

"They won't, things were crazy and they're about to get even weirder," I ran my fingers through her hair. We needed to get up, try to get a few things done, but I didn't want to move.

"Can I ask you some questions?" she whispered. I nodded. "You said the Cullens were vampires. Is Nessie…she's Edward's sister, is she a vampire?"

I chuckled. "Actually, Nessie isn't Edward's sister. She's his daughter."

"What?!" She yelped and looked at me like I had just told her there was no Santa Claus.

"Nessie's Mom, Bella, was human when she and Edward got married, she got pregnant much to everyone's surprise. Bella almost died giving birth to Nessie and Edward turned her into a vampire to keep her alive. So Ness is technically a half-vamp," I answered while she moved back to lay her head on my chest.

"I don't…I think I'll keep Liam away from her for awhile," Abby said softly.

"You don't have to, she won't hurt him," I said back, then looked at my watch. "Jake's calling us on a conference call in a little while. I want you there to hear what he has to say." She kissed my chest and very uncharacteristically ran her tongue in a circle over my nipple. "You're driving me crazy, Bee."

Abby giggled, sat up and then leaned over me to look at Liam who was cooing softly in his bassinet. "We should talk about living conditions. I don't have a crib or anything for Liam. I had kinda decided I was coming back to you."

"We'll take care of that, don't worry," I said. Abby lifted Liam and then I helped her out of the bed before we headed downstairs. Scar was in the kitchen with Ava and Ashley, all of them indulging in pancakes.

As soon as Ashley saw us, she jumped up, running over to Abby and hugging her legs. Abby leaned down and kissed her on the nose. "I love you, Ash," she said.

"I love you too. And I love Dr. Seth and I love Baby Liam and I love Super Scar—" I stopped Ashley.

"Who?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That's what I call him, on account that he's like a superhero," Ashley smiled then looked at me seriously. "Now. If you and Abby get married, can I have Mrs. Swan be my grandma? I know that she won't really be, but can I call her that?"

"We'll ask but I bet she'd love it," I chuckled, ruffling Ash's hair. We had a peaceful morning, everyone ogling the baby, even Scar. Then the call came. Seth and I were expected to listen in and I let Abby listen as well. She remained silent the whole time.

We listened as Jake instructed all of us to return to La Push. The shit was about to go down and I worried about bringing my family back to the place it would happen but I had to go and I wouldn't be able to concentrate if I didn't know where Abby and Liam were. Jake made it evident, too, that this was serious, far more serious than anything we'd had to deal with up to this point. Not to mention that I had so much more to worry about now.

Abby and I decided it would be best to fly back, calling a company to transport our cars and the few things Abby had here that wouldn't fit in a suitcase back to Washington. We started packing, my fiancée's eyes glazed with tears. "I'm scared," her voice was weak and dripped of worry. I was clutching Liam to my chest, kissing his forehead and patting his back.

"Don't be," I said as Abby flopped on the bed. "We're together now and that's all that matters." I looked down at Liam. "And we have this amazing little boy." She smiled at me then. I sat down next to her and ran my thumb just below her eye to wipe away a stray tear. "I want you and the girls to move in with me. My hope is that the wedding will be in the next few days and I want to be together as much as we can."

"The clinic here was transferred over to a friend of Ginger's last month, and I might have to fight her to get mine back," Abby laughed. "I'll see if she wants to buy the house from me." She pursed her lips.

I nodded. "That's fine, that's the least I can do. We'll figure out room arrangements when we get there."

Abby finished packing her bag and gathered Liam's stuff. She called Chloe and explained the situation, leaving out any mentions of wolves and vampires. I carried Liam while she packed up Ashley, then made sure Ava and Scar were ready. Within two hours, the airport shuttle was in the driveway and I handed our son to Abby, taking her and Ashley's bag to the van. I came back, taking Abby's hand.

"Ready to go home?" she asked.

I nuzzled her neck and kissed it sweetly. "As long as I'm with you, I'm always home."

We got in the van, starting a new journey, complete as a family and ready to face the next challenge head on.

* * *

**So, my lovely readers, I hope you aren't disappointed that they're back together so quickly. Abby and Seth are genuinely in love, regardless of the imprint, though that just makes it even harder for him to be away from her. And now they have a child and the threat of a newborn war, which Abby doesn't quite grasp yet. **

**I hope I haven't run any of you off and you continue to read. The story is far from over!**


	18. All the Way Home

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby, the O'Brien sisters, and Liam kinda belong to me. Scar is totally Nina's! **

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing and creating the universe. I would seriously be lost without her guidance and friendship and her patience! We've both been crazy recently with "real life" stuff and she really helps keep me sane! Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. You will not be disappointed.**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of stuff from this chapter!**

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 23 of Ninadoll's**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. You get insight into what's happening with Jake and Nessie before the battle! I especially love the father/daughter moments!**

**And…though I didn't win a Pup and Leech Award, thank you to everyone who voted!**

**Another funny little piece of info, I've been writing for almost a year and no one in my family or my friends here in OK knew. I didn't necessarily keep it from them, I was just a little scared to say anything, some of the things I write are not what you would expect from me. My friend Rach, also known as shojioxlow on FF, found my stories and read them. She's been very encouraging and I'm happy to have her as a reader!**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys are the most awesome!**

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**CHAPTER 17: ALL THE WAY HOME**

**ABBY'S POV**

Seth sat across from me in the airport's family bathroom while I sat in a chair, feeding Liam. We were in Salt Lake City, our flight for Seattle was in less than an hour and my nerves were all over the place. It was bad enough that_ I_ was returning to Forks after my seven-month self-imposed exile, but the fact that I was bringing a child, _the_ child of a La Push wolf with me, that no one knew about at that, made me jittery.

"He has my appetite," Seth chuckled, bringing me out of my thoughts. I smiled at him. I was so content and happy and yet I was scared out of my mind. "What's wrong, Bee?"

I sighed again. "What if they hate me? What if they can't forgive me for what I did?"

Seth took a deep breath. "See, here's the thing. The pack, they know about my fuck up, Jake and Quil had been telling me for months that I needed to tell you but I put it off, I couldn't risk losing you. But that's exactly what I did, instead of telling you after we started getting serious, I fucked it up and lost you. My brothers, the wolves…when we're phased, we share a mind link, so they've seen what an ass I was." He leaned down and kissed my lips this time, pulling away, but keeping our eyes locked. "They've also seen how much I love you and adore you, and how I can't think of a life without you. For that reason, they can't hate you."

"What about the other girls? The other imprints," I still choked on the word when I said it. As much as I loved Seth, and I have to admit it felt awesome that someone up there felt like I was worthy of being his soul mate, it was still hard to process.

He scoffed though. "Every imprint is different, Bee. Some wolves imprint when their soul mate is just a kid, like Quil—"

"Wait, what?" I remembered something at Quil's name, how he hung around Claire like she'd get lost without him or he without her. How he listened to every word she ever said and how she wanted no one but him, she knew that she loved him, so did that mean that she was his imprint?

"Quil, he imprinted on Claire when she was two," he said, as Liam detached himself. "Give him to me, I'll burp him." I did, fixing my nursing bra, and then buttoning up my blue dress.

"That's kinda gross, when she was two?" I turned up my nose.

Seth shrugged. "When a wolf imprints, it doesn't mean he automatically has romantic feelings for the imprintee."

"So you didn't have feelings like that for me?" I asked as Liam's little belch filled the air.

Seth and I both laughed as he helped me up. I took Liam from him and placed him his stroller. "Well, see, I wanted to imprint. You have no idea how long I'd been looking for you," he grinned then, taking my hand and kissing it. "And you were an adult, ready to accept that love. For us, it was natural, we fell in love. For Quil, he's been Claire's best friend, big brother, protector, and maybe one day in the future, lover but right now, he's just her best friend. Even though I'm pretty sure Claire wants more."

"No one will imprint on Liam, will they?" I asked, not really knowing how this whole wolf-imprinting thing worked.

Seth chuckled. "I doubt it. There's only one female wolf and she's related to Liam so I don't think that will be a problem."

"Who?" I asked.

He chuckled again. "Leah."

That took me by total surprise. "Leah? Your sister?"

Seth nodded. "She's the only female wolf that our pack has ever had, like ever, all the way back to the first wolves, she's the only one. She was a damn good one, too. She stopped phasing though."

I wanted to ask a million more questions but I knew our plane would be boarding soon and we needed to get to our terminal. Seth opened the door for me and I pushed the stroller out. Ashley was sitting outside the door with Ava and Scar all three drinking various Starbucks drinks.

"Bout time, geez!" Ashley took a drink of her strawberry frapuccino and smiled at me. "I bet Liam's been asking for me, hasn't he?"

She was so cute and I could feel my heart swell every time she asked about Liam asking for her or talking about her. Both my sisters were quite smitten with our son and I was glad. I wanted them to love him because I wanted them to be a big part of his life. We walked to the terminal together, all together as a family and Seth leaned down to kiss my forehead as we sat down. "Since we have to refrain from discussing the topic we were previously discussing, I thought maybe we could talk about something else."

"Okay," I said, pulling down the blanket that was covering Liam's face so that I could see him better. He was asleep, with a full belly and probably a full diaper soon.

Seth put his arm around me and pulled me into his side while he kept vigilant, his eyes on Liam and then Ashley and back. "We need to talk about the wedding."

I smiled at him, feeling so loved just being with him and knowing that was all I really needed. I didn't need a big wedding, all I needed was him and my sisters and Liam and the promise of being together to make my day perfect. "You, me, Liam, and my sisters," I said. "Ooh, and Scar. And your Mom and Leah."

He chuckled at me. "Okay, when and where?"

"How about the moment we step off the plane, and I already told you the where part doesn't matter to me. I don't need fancy, I just need you," I said, putting my head on his shoulder.

"Well, how about we at least give ourselves a day to get settled. Get the girls moved in and get Liam some stuff and then maybe the day after tomorrow, we can go to Port Angeles and make things official?" Seth asked.

"Okay," I said simply, nodding my head and watching Ashley pull a book out of her backpack she was carrying with her and then start reading to Liam.

"So when we get back, we'll go to my Mom's first," he said nonchalantly. Seeing his Mom worried me…a lot. Sue Clearwater-Swan was caring and loving and extremely protective of her children, and I knew she was not going to be happy with me. "Relax," Seth whispered in my ear. "Anyone can take one look at Liam and fall in love."

"I'm not worried about her loving him," I breathed deeply, taking in Seth's scent and hoping it might calm me.

"Stop worrying, everything is going to be fine. Bee, my Mom loves you," he said.

"Somehow, me leaving for seven months, then showing back up with our son, might make her a little weary of me," I told him, knowing that if a girl ever did that to Liam, I'd string her up by her toes, and he was only two weeks old!

"We'll be fine," Seth sounded more optimistic than I think he should have but I didn't argue, watching Liam start to squirm in his carrier, the effect of needing a diaper change. "Here, I'll take him real quick." I pulled out a diaper and the small thing of wipes from the diaper bag and handed them to Seth while he picked up the little angel and nuzzled his neck. "Daddy's got you," Seth smiled and kissed his forehead. I loved to watch him with Liam. In the short time we had been back together, Seth constantly watched over him and if it were possible, seeing him as a father, made me love him more. He was gentle and tender, like always, but in a different way now. And hearing him call himself 'Daddy' melted my heart and made me feel even more guilty that I had kept this secret, our son, from him.

I watched Seth walk back to the family bathroom and turned to see Ava and Scar talking to one another, Scar's arm around her protectively. It was interesting to watch them, very in tune with each other, and yet both denied being romantically involved. "Am I gonna have to transfer schools?" Ava asked me, bringing me out of my thoughts. "If we're moving to La Push, will I have to transfer?"

"Do you want to?" I asked. I didn't want to disrupt my sisters' lives anymore than I already had, so I would give them that option but I wouldn't force them. I wouldn't force them to move either, but both seemed more than willing to go.

"I want to!" Ashley squealed. "And I want Dr. Seth to drop me off in the mornings and you to pick me up from school. Except with Grandma Sue wants to pick me up, that is."

"So you want to go to school in La Push? Even though your friends are at Forks?"

"I'll make new ones," she shrugged, finishing the last of her drink and then hopping down to throw it away as Seth brought Liam back

"What're we talking about?" Seth asked, putting Liam back in the carrier and then sitting down next to me.

"School," Ashley sighed. "I wanna go to school in La Push."

Seth chuckled and nodded.

"Tell him the rest," I added, leaning my head on Seth's shoulder.

"And I want you to take me to school and Abby to pick me up," Ashley said, leaning over Liam's carrier.

"I'll be happy to take you to school, Ash," Seth told her as she smiled at him and then came over to sit next to him.

"That still doesn't solve the issue at hand. Ave, where do you want to go to school?" I asked, leaning forward, seriously.

Ava looked at Scar and then me. "It's my senior year. And as much as I would love to go to school with Scar, I think I should stay at Forks. Plus, I'd miss Claire too much," she chuckled.

"And you'll be okay making the drive?" I asked.

"Yes," Ava said confidently.

_Delta Flight 7312 to Seattle/Tacoma will now begin boarding at Gate A3. We would like to extend first boarding to our elderly passengers and our passengers traveling with small children._

"That's us! We have a baby! That's us!" Ashley squealed and grabbed Seth's hand pulling him to the gate.

"And she has to sit by me because why?" Ava asked and even though she was trying to hide it, I could see the small smile on her face.

SETH'S POV

Scar was helping the girls get their luggage while I pulled the rented minivan around to the baggage claim area. I was starting to feel nervous for the first time since I'd laid eyes on my son and my soon-to-be wife. I was happy we were together but as much as I hated to admit it, I was worried what my pack might think. I had been a shell the last seven months, they knew that for sure and I'd felt more alive in the last few days than I think I ever had. But part of me worried intensely, not for myself but for Abby and Liam. I hoped with everything that the pack and the pack family would let it go and just be happy but I had to admit that because we were all so close, some might not be some welcoming. They had felt betrayed, just like I did when I first found out. The person I was most anxious to see though was my Mom.

I thought about her as I held Abby's hand on the drive to Forks, glancing in the mirror to see Ashley hovering protectively over Liam while Ava and Scar almost looked like they were cuddling in the backseat.

"Can I ask you something?" Abby said very quietly.

"Sure," I smiled as I turned to look at her then back to the road.

"Scar…did he imprint on Ava?" she asked even quieter this time. I shook my head no and watched her face fall out of the corner of my eye.

"Did you want him to?"

She nodded. "He's good for her, better than anyone I've ever met. I just kinda hoped that maybe…you know?"

"Not all wolves imprint, Bee," I said.

"We're just friends, geez!" Ava announced from the backseat, either having heard us or being told by Scar what we were saying.

We stopped two hours later when Liam stirred, enough time to grab food at McDonalds while Abby fed Liam. After scarfing down three cheeseburgers, I called Jake to let him know we were on our way. I told him I had quite a surprise for him and asked if we could come over tomorrow for a bit. And the plans were solidified.

It was starting to get dark as we got closer to Forks, everyone asleep except for me, and as I pulled into town, I kissed Abby's hand then up her arm until she smiled widely and opened her eyes. "I love you for always, Seth," she said.

"I intend to love you for even longer," I smiled.

"You can't love her more than always," Ashley said from the seat behind me. "It wouldn't make sense."

"It's just an expression, Ash," Abby giggled.

"Well it doesn't make sense, Dr. Seth," Ashley said very matter-of-factly.

"Hey Ash, how bout since Abby and I are getting married and we're gonna be living together, why don't you just call me Seth? You don't have to call me Dr. Seth," I said.

Ashley shrugged. "Okay. Are you gonna be like my brother now?"

"Is that okay?" I asked, knowing that though Ashley was excited we were getting married, she may not understand how much was going to change.

"Yeah, I've never had a brother before," she said. It was quiet for about three minutes before Ashley broke us all out of the silence. "Wait! I can't move!"

"Why not?" Abby asked, turning in her seat a little to look back at her.

"Sandy. He won't know where to find me," Ashley sounded genuinely worried and I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"What if I told you I'd make sure Sandy knew where to find you?" I smiled, watching her still in the rear view mirror.

"You promise?" she asked now on the verge of tears.

"I promise," I said back.

"Okay. Then I guess that's okay," Ashley said just as Abby squeezed my hand.

As we pulled into Forks, I could feel Abby tense. I knew how worried she was and even though I was slightly nervous, I would do anything I could to keep her calm. We went to the O'Brien house first and Ginger met us at the door.

"Ten minutes, Bee," I said as she waved me off.

"Ash and Ave! Chip chop chip!" Ginger shouted up the stairs before turning back to us

The girls came rushing down the stairs, both with an additional suitcase filled with clothes or in Ashley's case, filled with stuffed animals she just couldn't leave behind. After a quick good-bye to Ginger, it was time to head to Mom and Charlie's.

When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed an extra car in the driveway and internally cringed. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face the car's owner yet, I wasn't sure she'd be understanding with Abby. I guess we would find out soon enough.

"Let me carry him in," I said, taking Liam out of his carrier and unwrapping his blanket so he could stretch a little. His mouth turned up in a tiny yawn as his eyes opened to look at me. "You wanna go meet Grandma Sue?"

Abby stopped in her tracks as she looked at the car next to the van. "Leah's here," she said softly.

I nodded. "It's okay, Bee. Don't freak out, okay?" I could tell my words were falling on deaf ears though. She looked like she couldn't breathe and was holding on tighter to Ashley's hand as Ava and Scar got out of the van and we walked up the stairs to the front door. I didn't even ring the door bell before the door was almost ripped from its hinges.

"Did you bring her ba—" Leah stopped, looking at the bundle I was holding at my chest.

"Yeah, we're home," I answered her. Abby was at my side and I held her hand firmly as Leah eyed me, then Abby, then the bundle, then me again.

"Is that…" She stopped again.

"That's Liam, Auntie Leah," Ashley grinned. "He's my nephew."

Leah turned back to Abby. "You were pregnant? When you left?" Her eyes were filled with tears, looking at Abby and then the baby. "He has so much hair and he has Seth's ears."

"Wait till you see his eyes, Lee. They're Dad's eyes," I said, rubbing Liam's back.

Leah turned back to Abby and I waited for the onslaught of whatever she might be preparing to dish out. "Don't you ever leave again. Never. You don't know what you did to him. He loves you so much and I won't stand by and see him disintegrate." Surprisingly calm for Leah.

"I don't plan on ever leaving again, Leah," Abby said, her own eyes now rimmed with glossy tears.

Leah nodded and then turned back to me. "Well, it sounds like you have quite a bit to share with Mom and as much as I really want to get my hands that baby, I'm gonna let Mom hold him first. What's his name again?"

"Liam Seth," I said, turning him for Leah to see.

"Wow," she whispered, running her finger over his nose as he stared at her. "He does have Dad's eyes."

"Are they here?!" I heard a familiar voice say from behind Leah. Leah chuckled and opened the door wider for us all to come in, taking Ashley's hand from Abby and hugging her.

"Mom, you might wanna sit down," Leah chuckled. She turned back to me. "I'll get her settled and then you bring the precious one in."

"Ready?" I asked Abby. She nodded and in we went. Ashley was sitting next to Mom, telling her how she was going to be her new Grandma and that we were going to get married this week, thankfully she hadn't gotten to the part about Liam.

Abby walked in front of me, Mom squealing when she saw her. "You're back!" Mom rushed up to Abby, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

"It's good to be home," Abby said before Mom's eyes found me and her eyes immediately widened and a gasp came out of her mouth.

"Mom, I'd like you to meet your grandson, Liam," I said watching her peel herself from Abby. Mom's hands reached out and I held him out for her to take.

"He's…mine?" she asked, walking to the sofa wiping at her eyes with her empty hand, cradling Liam in the other arm. She sat down, placing Liam on her thighs, taking his blanket off. She looked up at me. "He looks exactly like you. He has your Dad's eyes and your Grandpa's hair." She was crying now. "Liam, you are my favorite little boy on the planet, yes you are." Mom leaned down and kissed his nose then pulled him to her chest, rocking him as Charlie walked in.

"I'm gone for like fifteen minutes and come back and there's a baby? Hell," Charlie smirked.

"He's my grandson, Charlie," Mom choked. "His name is Liam and his Mom and Dad are getting married this week. My little boy is all grown up." She was practically weeping and holding Liam tight.

"Honey, if there's anything I've learned, our kids never really grow up. I mean look at Bella," Charlie joked as Mom swatted him.

"Not funny, Charlie," Mom said. She turned back to me. "So now that we have this precious little prince, when are we planning for this wedding to take place?"

Leah sat down on the arm of the sofa next to Mom, Charlie on the other side while I took Abby's hand and led her to sit on the loveseat. "We're going to go to the courthouse in Port Angeles the day after tomorrow. With everything else going on, we don't have a lot of time," I said, watching Mom coo over Liam.

"Well, that's nonsense," she said. "We still have all the stuff from our wedding. I think it's at the Cullens' but I know Alice would be more than happy to get it all back out."

"It's okay, Sue. We just need to make it official. We don't need a big to-do," Abby said as Mom shook her head.

"No. I won't hear of it. My only son is getting married and I want a wedding," Mom said, pretty adamantly. "If you don't want to call Alice, I will." She snapped at Leah who was hiding a smile. "Hand me my phone."

"Mom," I warned as Leah dug through Mom's purse and handed it to her, sticking her tongue out.

"Leah, hold your nephew," Mom ordered.

"My pleasure," Leah grinned taking Liam. "Auntie Leah loves you very much, you're a tiny little Seth, yes you are." She continued as Abby was starting to hyperventilate.

And just like that, our wedding plans were taken out of our hands. Mom was on a mission now and by the time we left, she, Alice, and Leah had everything planned for Saturday, two days from now, with Alice coming the next morning to take my lovely fiancée dress shopping. I could practically see Abby cringe with every word, and that night when it was time for bed, after she'd tucked Ash and Ava into their new bedrooms and I'd given Liam his bath and Abby was laying in bed, feeding him, I kissed her with an apologetic look on my face.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as she put Liam over her shoulder and started to burp him.

"It's okay. You know, I hadn't thought about what I'd be taking from your family by not having a wedding," Abby said, putting Liam to her other breast. I scooted right next to her looked over her at our son, this for the first time, felt exactly like home. The woman I loved, my son, me, cuddled in bed. This was perfect. Abby's eyes were on mine as she put her hand on my cheek. "I'm nervous about shopping tomorrow, though," she said.

"Why?"

"Alice is a Cullen. The Cullens are vampires. Don't you ever worry they might like attack?"

I shook my head. "No, Edward's cool and Carlisle's like my mentor. Jasper might be a little rough around the edges but he's relatively harmless."

"Relatively? You trust relatively around our son?" she made a good point but I'd never been worried about the Cullens. They were not like any other vampires I'd ever met, and regardless of what they were on the outside, they were good on the inside.

"I do," I said, kissing her neck.

"You know our wedding nights gonna suck, don't you?"

I pulled away and couldn't help but laugh. "Why's that?"

"Well, we still have four weeks before we'll be doing that dance," she giggled at me.

I pulled her close as we fell asleep that night and she was already gone when I woke up the next morning, finding a note.

_You do know how much I love you, right? I've heard Alice is a ruthless when it comes to shopping. Tell Jake hi. Have fun! I love you, Bee_

I smiled and rolled over before starting my day. My first stop was Jake and Nessie's, Jake opening the door with a huge smile on his face. "Glad you're home, man," he pulled me into a brotherly hug.

"Thanks," I said. "Glad to be home." I looked around. "Where's Ness?"

"Um, she's with Griffin in the nursery," he said, clearing his throat. "I hear you have news."

I grinned widely. "Yeah, Abby and I are getting married. Saturday, actually, and I wanted to ask you if you'd be my best man."

Jake put his hand on my shoulder. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're all brothers but I always kinda saw you as my big brother that I could talk to and ask questions and advice," I said.

"I'd be honored, Seth," he pulled me into another hug and then pulled away. "I've heard a rumor too. Charlie called Dad, Dad called me, you know how it goes. Is there a new little one?"

I nodded pulling out my phone to show him Liam's picture. "His name is Liam. He was born on September 15th."

"He's awesome, Seth. And when do I get to meet my newest nephew?" he asked. "I can't believe that. Three pack babies in one year."

"I'll try to bring him by later. Abby says hi by the way," I said.

"I know Ness will be happy to see her," he said. I couldn't tell him the same probably wouldn't true with Abby.

"And we wanted to see if Griffin would be the ring bearer. Ashley's determined to be the flower girl and she wants to carry him down the aisle," I chuckled.

"Sure, sure," he chuckled.

I left Jake's to make another stop at my lawyer's office. There were certain things that needed to be taken care of now that hadn't been much of an issue before. I was trying to be optimistic about the battle but in the back of my mind, there was always a "just in case."

"I need to make some changes to my will," I said. "I need to change the beneficiaries of my estate."

After filling out form after form and adding Abby and Liam as the beneficiaries, I was ready to go home, Abby tenser than ever after spending the day with Alice, but when I walked into the bedroom, a dark garment bag hung over the closet door. "Don't touch it! It's my dress and you can't see it," Abby said, wagging her finger at me.

"I won't," I smiled. "I'm so happy you're gonna be my wife, Abigail."

"I love when you call me Abigail," she said, seductively.

"Then I'll save that for special occasions," I whispered in her ear as she hugged me.

I didn't call her Abigail again until two days later, in the wooded area behind the cabin, Jake by my side, Liam in my arms, dressed in a little tuxedo. I watched as Ashley carried Griffin, handed him to Jake, then rushed back down the aisle. Leah walked down next and then she appeared. My Abigail. Her dress was strapless and her freckled shoulders looked amazing as Ava and Ashley escorted her down the aisle. "Who gives this woman in marriage?" the judge Alice had arranged for asked.

"We do," Ava and Ashley said as both smiled at me.

I could barely register anything the judge said until it was time to say our vows.

"Seth, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life," Abby said, choking up.

"Seth, your turn," the judge said, turning to me.

"Abigail, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of my life," my voice tried to convey as much love as I could into my words.

Looking into her eyes, I was lost again until the judge said the words years in the making, and words I'd been waiting almost a year to hear. "It is my honor to present to you, Dr. and Dr. Seth Clearwater," he patted my back.

I took that as my cue and I sealed our union with a kiss, careful not to crush Liam. It was real now, we were husband and wife. We made our way to a small reception, using all of Mom and Charlie's decorations and the green and brown was the perfect combination of Abby and me. We ate a small dinner with the pack, the Cullens, and the family that Abby had here. And we danced. Not to a conventional song like everyone else and not by ourselves. With our son in our arms, we danced to "Dearest" by Buddy Holly, not an ordinary wedding song, but the lyrics rang true. In one part he sings "Come home - keep me from these sleepless nights." It was us and my intentions, proclaiming that I would come home. I don't think anyone other than the pack and the Cullens probably realized that, but Abby and I did.

The evening was beautiful and as it came to a close, I watched as Nessie approached. She had always been cheery and hardly ever looked sad. Tonight, though, you could see the anxiety and worry in her face. I hugged her and brought her to Abby who was holding Liam tightly to her.

"Would you like to hold him?" I asked Nessie as she peered over Abby's arms too look at Liam.

"If that's okay," Nessie answered, a small smile on her lips.

I almost immediately saw Abby furrowed her brow as I reached for our son. "I don't think—," I stopped my wife, taking Liam from her and holding him out for Ness. Abby was practically growling as she watched Ness hold him.

"He's beautiful," Nessie tried to smile at Abby but Abby just tensed up. "Welcome to home, Liam." And then Abby took Liam, almost ripping him from Ness's arms.

"Thanks," she said shortly. I knew she was scared. Before Abby met me, werewolves and vampires were something you saw on horror movies or read in books. Now she was faced with the fact that not only was all of it real, but she'd married into it. She had a son who would, in all likelihood, grow up to be a wolf. And though she seemed comfortable with the wolves, the vampires worried her.

"Why don't you like them?" I whispered in her ear as I pulled her close to me to dance to last song before we would retire for the evening.

"You're going off to fight vampires, Seth. They're vampires," she whispered back.

"But they're not bad, Bee. They wouldn't hurt you, or Liam, or Ash or Ava. They would never attack," I said before chuckling. "You probably smell like me and vampires say we smell pretty bad to them, so see, you're safe."

Abby shrugged, not convinced. Soon, we said good bye to our guests. Claire was staying over and sleeping in Ava's room with her, while Ash was just down the hall from our bedroom, next to the newly decorated nursery that belong to Liam. Some people might think it's weird too that we spent our wedding night in our house, with her sisters, but there was no sex happening tonight and we were both adamant we all be close in case something happened.

I shut the bedroom door and found Liam in his little bassinet next to the bed and I pulled it over to me to look at him. His big dark eyes danced in the light until he realized I was looking at him. Then he stared back at me. "Liam, I have to tell you something. Very soon, Daddy is going to have to go away for a little bit to fight some bad guys and I need you to do me a favor," I ran my finger over his dark hair. "If I…if something happens, you'll be the man of the house and I'll need you to take care of your Mommy and Aunts for me." I felt my emotions getting the better of me as I kept looking at him, his tiny pink lips forming into a yawn. "I'm going to fight so hard so I can come home to you because there're so many things I want to teach you. And I love your Mommy so much, Liam. I don't think I knew what love really was before her. And now we have you." He looked totally perplexed and I probably could've cried watching him but a sniffle from the bathroom doorway brought me out of it.

"What am I going to do if something happens, Seth?" Abby sobbed as she raised her hands to cover her face.

I stood up, wrapping my arms around her and held her. I picked her up, carrying her bridal style and laid her on the bed, taking my place next to her. "Abigail, I can't make any guarantees. You know that. But intend, with everything I am, to come home to you. Because I plan on making more babies with you. And watching our grandkids in the front yard, and listening to you tell me I drive too slow when we go out for Sunday drives and a Senior Citizen coffee. I will try my damnedest, Babe."

"Please," Abby begged, pulling my head down to kiss her. I felt her relax slightly and intensified the kiss, running my tongue across her bottom lip until she opened her mouth. I slipped my tongue in as Abby's hands made their way up my back then down to the elastic of my boxer briefs. "I'm sorry I can't give you a proper send off."

I pulled away from our kiss, her fingers dancing along the elastic, occasionally slipping under it. "I'm not," I told her. Her lips were swollen from our kiss and her eyes were slightly puffy from her tears, but she was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on. "As much as I love making love to you, having Liam makes me feel, I don't know, proud."

"Proud?" she asked, turning her head to the side while I nodded.

"He's half you, half me. He's the living example of how much we love each other," I said, watching my lovely bride tear up again. "Don't cry, Bee," I whispered, as I placed a light kiss on her jaw. "He's the most precious gift you've ever given me."

"God, I love you," Abby pulled me back into a kiss, and again we held each other until we fell asleep.

The next few days were filled with more paperwork, name changes, strategies. Each of the girls packed their emergency bag for the moment the call came from Jake. The plan was for all the wives, imprints, kids, sisters, whoever, to meet at Jake and Nessie's, to stay together until it was all over.

After so much, I had eventually had enough. I needed a night to be Seth, not Seth the wolf, not Seth the doctor, but a night to be a husband, a father, a brother, a son. Abby and I discussed it and decided to have a family night at the house. Nothing fancy, Abby would make chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes, Charlie would bring beer, Ava and Ashley picked out the movie, and we would just enjoyed each other. After the last scenes of _The Frog Princess_, I carried a sleeping Ashley up the stairs to her bedroom. I laid her in her bed, Abby beside me, pulling up the blanket around her.

"I love you, Seth," Ashley yawned, rolling over.

"I love you too, Ash," I kissed her cheek, then took Abby's hand and walked out.

"Do you remember the first time we kissed?" Abby asked, looking into my eyes. "You laid Ashley in bed and I knew that moment, when we came out, when I saw how much love you had for not just me, but for my family, I knew you were it for me. One kiss didn't seem like enough."

I held her in my arms gently rubbing her back. "I knew the first time I saw you, but I fell deeper in love every minute I spent with you," I whispered in her ear. We stood there for a minute before Leah came up the stairs with Liam.

"I should feed him," Abby said, taking him from Leah. I watched her walk to the bedroom and gently ease the door shut before I started my conversation with my sister.

Leah patted me on the back. "You did good, baby brother," she kissed my cheek. "I don't say it enough, but I love you very much and I'm very proud of the man you've become."

"Thanks, sis," I hugged her, then pulled away with a smile. "Keep them safe." She nodded and walked away as Ava came up.

"I'm off to bed," she announced. "IloveyoutooSeth." It was quick and one sentence but I understood her, I knew what she was saying and that meant a lot to me too.

"I love you too, Ava," I said softly as she nodded and then slipped into her bedroom. I walked Leah, Mom, and Charlie out and then sighed as I locked the last door and headed to our bedroom. I headed straight to the bathroom and showered. I could smell Abby in the other room, her soothing pumpkin pie scent marred by the salty smell of tears. I slid into the bed, pulling her into my arms until she rolled over and threw her arms around my neck, attacking my lips and hitching her leg over my hip. I had to be the one to keep us grounded that night, otherwise I'm pretty sure Abby would forget all the doctor's orders and we definitely would've had sex. But instead I let her grind up against me, kiss me hard, and tug on my hair, anything to let her know I was still here. And then her body stilled and I knew she was asleep, in my arms. I didn't sleep though, I just held her, waking up with Liam and handing him over to Abby to feed, then watching her go back to sleep. The last time they woke up, it was time.

I picked up my phone as Jake gave us the last of our orders. I turned to my wife, who in the short amount of time I had talked to Jake, got herself and Liam dressed and then got Ava and Ashley up. They each grabbed their bags and I waited for them at the door. We loaded up in the mini-van and headed to Jake's. I got them inside and helped Abby set up the bassinet in the living room next to Griffin's and Keegan's.

I knew Abby was uncomfortable, but I knew she was in safe hands. "Be prepared, in case we can't get someone to phase back. You're the only vet we know that's treated one of us as a wolf," I told her.

Abby looked around us. "Seth…"

"I know, Abigail," I took her into my arms for the last time. "If something bad happens, I need you to trust Ness and the Cullen's, Babe. You're safe with them. I love you so much, so, so much."

She was sobbing as I pulled away. "I-I love you f-f-or always," her voice was broken and I pulled her into one last hard kiss before I let go for the last time. I slid off my wedding ring and put it in her hand.

"Keep it safe for me," I turned quickly and ran to catch up with the rest of the pack, slipping into the nearest car. It was time to face the most dangerous situation yet and we all held our loved ones in our hearts and minds throughout the drive, hoping and praying we'd all return. Safely.


	19. Worry

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby, the O'Brien sisters, and Liam kinda belong to me. Scar, Tokala, Curis, are all totally Nina's! **

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing and creating the universe. I would seriously be lost without her guidance and friendship and her patience! We've both been crazy recently with "real life" stuff and she really helps keep me sane! Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. You will not be disappointed. Thank you, Nina, for all you do!**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of stuff from this chapter!**

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 24 of Ninadoll's**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. Alpha Jake is in full-kickass mode and I must say, very HOT!**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys are the most awesome!**

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**CHAPTER 18: WORRY**

**ABBY'S POV**

Things were quiet, no one said much, the living room full of women, all wolf-imprints, wolf-mothers, wolf-sisters, best friends, every relationship you could imagine. We three mothers of babies sat in different corners of the large den, feeding our sons. Rachel looked up and smiled at me, cuddling a growing Keegan to her chest. I smiled back, feeling Liam move under the blanket covering us up.

"It's okay, little one," I soothed Liam. It had been a long morning of worry and I knew my tiny little bright-eyed mini-Seth could feel that. He missed his Daddy's warmth, just like I did and I knew he could sense that something was off.

"How are you?" my mother-in-law asked with a small smile, sitting down next to me.

"I'm okay. I'm really scared," my voice broke and she wrapped her arm around me.

Sue hugged me while I felt a few tears trickle down my cheek. I felt her sigh a little, trying to sooth me but it wasn't working. I wanted to break down. It felt just like it had in the months that I'd been away from Seth. Only this time, there was no certainty with anything. Before, I knew there was always the opportunity to come back to La Push if I needed to, that Seth would at least be here. That wasn't the case now. I could lose him in the snap of fingers.

"You know, you really shouldn't be scared of the Cullens," she looked at a very stressed, worried and scared Nessie before she cleared her throat. "Did Seth ever tell you about the first big fight he was involved in as a wolf?" I shook my head no as I adjusted Liam and wiped a few tears. "Seth was one of the youngest wolves to phase in our history. Add to that, he was dealing with the fact that his father died and his sister was the first female wolf in history, Seth could've become depressed. He could've hated the Cullens for making him what he is. But he didn't. That's not his way, you know that." I did know that. Seth's kind heart, his willingness to forgive, his gentleness, those were things that made me fall in love with him. "Apart from a few stray vampires in places they shouldn't be, the first major battle the pack faced happened when Seth was just 15."

"Fifteen?" I asked. I hadn't heard this story and I tried to imagine my strong husband as a gangly teen a year or two younger than Ava.

"Yes. There was an army of newborns that had been created basically for the purpose of killing Bella—".

"Bella Cullen?" I cut her off.

"Well, Bella Swan then but yes, this was when she was human, before Ness was born. Basically Seth's job was to be the wolf that held the link between Bella, Jake, and Edward, with the battle going on out in the field," Sue's voice was full of pride and for the first time in days I felt a little comfortable. "Anyway, after the fighting started taking a turn for the worst, Seth and Edward, the ones that were supposed to be protecting Bella were forced into the thick of the fight. Edward and Seth worked together to bring down the main vampire and her second in command. That was the day Seth became friends with Edward Cullen. It didn't make him popular among the pack but my son, your husband, didn't care. He's always believed that they are good," Sue smiled at me and looked towards Nessie. "And then when Bella was pregnant with Ness and Jake broke away to protect them, Seth followed him. Not a second thought in his mind, and do you know why?"

"No," I answered softly.

"Because Seth will always side with good, others worried about what Ness might be, but Seth didn't. He trusted Jake and Edward. To him, the Cullens aren't vampires," she chuckled to herself a little. "They're people that just happen to have an alternative diet."

I looked at Nessie again. If Seth had been willing to give his life for her and her family, I should be able to trust them. I should be able to trust my family with them. "Are you - have you ever been afraid of them?"

Sue didn't even miss a beat. "I would be lying if I told you no. This is what I want you to think about though. Before you knew what Nessie and her family are, did you question your friendship or safety?" I shook my head no. It was the truth. Nessie had been my best friend in Washington before I left and I thought about her and Griffin and Jake when I was gone. I never questioned that friendship because it didn't matter what she was. She was just Nessie Black, the most friendly, welcoming, understanding person I'd met and I had been nothing but horrible to her in the last few days. "You have to think, too, if things don't go well, we lose our wolves. But Nessie, she'll lose her whole family, Abby."

That was something else I hadn't thought of and thinking that made me want all of this to be okay. "Do you think she'd talk to me?" I tried to find my voice as I pulled Liam from under the blanket and patted his back.

"I bet she'd be more than happy to talk to you, Abby," Sue rubbed my back giving me a boost of confidence as the baby let out a little burp.

I watched Nessie get up and place a sleeping Griffin in the playpen set up in the room before she returned to the window. I hadn't thought about how hard this had to be for her, how much more difficult her life would be without her wolf. She was immortal and if she lost Jake, it would be a devastating life left for her live.

"Thank you, Sue," I looked at my loving mother-in-law and felt my heart expand. I knew if my mother were here, she and Sue would be great friends. "When I left, I know I didn't just hurt Seth and I know that there's nothing I can say to get back all of that. But I do love your son very much and I'm very proud to be part of your family."

Sue smiled wider at me, holding my hand for a second. "I have never seen someone hold Seth's heart as completely as you do. I'm honored to have you as my second daughter," she bit her lip and I could see her holding back tears. These were all the things we should've said before Seth and I got married. But time wasn't on our side and it was more important that we get married than allow me to make up for all that I had wrecked. As I held Liam to my chest, I leaned down to hug Sue, my eyes prickling with tears again.

I released Sue and carried Liam to where Nessie was sitting. "Ness?" I said her name softly as she turned and looked at me. "Would you hold Liam for a second so I can get something to drink?"

Nessie stared at me. "You want me to hold him?"

"Yeah, if you would. I need some water," I leaned down and gently placed Liam into Nessie's waiting arms. "See, nice and happy." I gave a soft smile and walked to the kitchen to grab two glasses of cold water. I stopped in the doorway and watched as Nessie rocked Liam, she was whispering something to him but I couldn't hear exactly what it was.

When I came back, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "I was telling him about when Seth used to play hide-and-seek with me as a kid. Seth was horrible at it because Daddy would always tell me where he was. But anytime I ever wanted to play, Seth was always up for it."

I took a deep breath trying to convince myself to optimistic. "Maybe one day Jake and Seth can play with Griffin and Liam?"

Ness shifted her eyes towards the window. "Yes," she whispered. Liam started to squirm in her arms and she looked down at him. "You want your Mommy?"

I closed the gap between us and sat one of the glasses of water on the table next to her. "This is for you. I thought you might want something to drink," I stooped down as she leaned forward to give Liam back to me.

"He really is precious, Abby," her voice was weak and I knew this was killing her.

"Thank you. I think he and Griffin will be good friends," I cuddled my son to my chest, praying that this would all be okay and there would time for our sons to be friends.

It wasn't long before the rest of the women in the house started to stir and one by one we all gathered in the den. Ashley was in Heaven, all the little boys following her around while she sang to them or read books to them, something she was very proud of. When the kids were all napping, Ash had set Remy and Hawk down to read _If You Give A Pig A Pancake_, both of whom begged her to change the story to something with wolves. She reworded it and called it _If You Give A Wolf A Waffle _and they'd all fallen asleep, leaning up against a wall of pillows. It was a precious sight and one of the first times that I'd seen Nessie pull out her camera since I'd been home.

It was quiet and peaceful. That is until we heard a ripple of howls outside. "What…" I started but stopped as all of the wives, sisters, mothers, etc. ran down the hall to the front door. Nessie flung it open to see the younger wolves pacing furiously, yelping and whining. Leah pushed through us to step out into the front porch. "What is it? Leah, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," Leah said, looking at the wolves in front of us until Scar transformed back to human Scar.

"Sam," Scar looked at me then my sister-in-law then to all the women that had congregated on the porch. His eyes stopped on me though and I knew something wasn't right. "Can I talk to you?"

Sam motioned for Leah to come forward, while Scar stood there, still looking at me.

"No, tell me, tell me!" I started to feel a hole dig it's way into my chest as Ava took Liam from my arms just as I felt my knees start to give.

"Abby, just wait, okay? I'll find out what happened and I'll talk to you, okay? It's okay," I could hear the fear in her own voice and I couldn't breathe. I listened though and I held on tight to Rachel while we stood there and waited.

"Please, please, please," I whispered. I had made a lot of request to a higher power in the last few years but I couldn't help but make one more. "Please let him be okay."

We all stood watching Leah, Sam, and Scar talk, quietly. I held onto Rachel in silent prayer, trying to catch my breath. Scar was talking in such hushed tones and I looked at Ness. "Can you hear them?"

"No," she said softly.

Then Sam looked at me, just like Scar had earlier, with some sort of terror in his eyes before shaking his head. What the hell was going on? What did we miss? Then Scar took a deep breath, almost like a sigh. He rubbed his hands over his face, a total look of indifference about him, and with one final deep breath he walked the way, leaving Leah to come back to us.

"Leah?!" I panicked.

Leah shook her head and grabbed me just as I started to fall forward. "He's okay. They're still fighting, but he's okay."

"I want him to come home!" I grabbed on tighter to her and let my tears fall.

"As long as he's still fighting, he's okay, okay?" she looked at me sincerely and then put her hands on my shoulders to steady me. "You have to be strong, sweetie." I nodded and let her support my weight as we walked into the living room. I curled on the couch, taking deep breath for what seemed like too long, until Kim brought me out of my stupor.

"How are you feeling, Abby?" Kim asked as I sat down next to her at lunch. I had tried to help with the huge number of sandwiches that were stacked by Sue and Emily. I was immediately told to sit down and relax.

"I'm okay. Things are still healing, I think," I rocked Liam in his little bassinet. "Thank you, by the way, for before, you know?"

She nodded. "I take my doctor-patient confidentiality very seriously. And, my door is always open in the future," Kim patted my arm.

We were all trying to keep some sense of cordialness but you could tell it was starting to wear on us. Ava and Claire kept to themselves, fighting and then crying, fighting and then crying. Ashley looked completely confused and I couldn't blame her. We had told her that all the boys had to go to Seattle for a really important meeting and that we girls all had to stay together until they came back. She was still completely confused and who could blame her, it was an odd predicament.

"This doesn't mean I love you any less, it's just that Liam's my nephew so I have to watch over him especially good," Ashley was currently telling Remy and Hawk who looked at her with wide eyes. "Plus sometimes he wants me to hold him and stuff."

"You still love us, right?" Remy asked with a pout, a pout I'd seen him use to get a great many things.

"Yes, yes, I'll always love you, my heart gets bigger so I can love more people," Ashley grinned really wide then sat down next to me while Hawk and Remy sat by their mothers.

"When do you think we'll hear something?" Shanna asked though I wasn't sure who she was asking but it was my sister-in-law who spoke.

Leah sat down next to me with a cup of coffee looking down at her sleeping nephew. "Well, I guess no news is good news. If the pups come in and tell us we have a problem, then we'll know. But right now, things seem okay."

It was hard to think about eating and it was evident in all of our faces but so was the determination to keep our children going. We cut peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into small pieces and spooned baby cereal into little mouths, while some of us brought our babies to our breasts. It was clear that it was too methodical, no feeling in any of it for most of us, just trying to keep our little ones going.

It took most of the morning for all of us to shower, dress, dress the kiddos, and then wait. That was all we could do, wait. Ava had coaxed Claire into the kitchen with her and they were baking massive amounts of cookies and cupcakes. "I know they'll be hungry when they get back," Ava said, softening umpteenth pounds of butter. _When did Ava become the optimistic one?_ I asked myself. I wasn't pessimistic, I was trying in this situation to be optimistic but I was too worried.

The anxiety increased in the afternoon when Nessie had a breakdown. We all rushed up to where she was only to be shooed out. None of us said anything, but when we first heard and saw Nessie's sobbing, we all panicked. All of the worst possible scenarios ran through my head. But she seemed to calm down after talking to Rachel and Kim.

"Is she better?" I asked Rachel as she came back into the living room with Keegan on her hip.

"I think she will be," she said before she kissed Keegan's forehead.

After passing Liam to Sue, I slowly walked down the hall. I knew I needed to have an actual conversation with Ness. Just a "Do you want to hold my baby?" wasn't going to do it. I opened the door that I knew led to Jake's office but then decided that I should probably knock, tapping a little on the door.

"Come in," Ness said.

I pushed the door open more and Ness looked up to me with a smile. "I was…I wondered how you were doing?" I asked before sitting down in a chair in the office.

"I'm doing better. I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. I was, um, I stopped lactating," Ness looked down like she was ashamed. "All the stress."

I nodded. "It's okay, Ness. Things are probably tenser than they've ever been," I paused and took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you that, I was, that I am sorry for how I reacted when we got back," it was my turn to look down and feel ashamed. What kind of friend was I? "I spent seven months protecting Liam and keeping him safe, thinking that everything Seth had told me about wolves and vampires was a lie. And then when I saw it for myself…every book and movie I'd ever read or seen made me think that vampires were evil and I didn't stop to think that you were my friend, Ness, and I'm so so sorry," I was now the one sobbing uncontrollably.

Nessie was around the desk and sitting next to me in seconds, hugging me. "I know, Abby. I grew up in all this but I never take for granted that not everyone will be so comfortable with what we are. But I can promise you, my family, me, we would never hurt anyone."

I shook my head vigorously. "I know, I know. I was just…" There were no other words I could say to make it up to her and I think she knew that because she hugged me again. She let me cry too, I think it was because she knew what I was feeling was only on a ten fold scale. "Please God let them be okay," I whispered a quiet prayer for my husband and his brothers, my friends. After a few minutes, when I composed myself enough, Ness and I both had Kleenexes wiping away tears when a completely random thought entered my mind. "Can I ask a totally stupid question?" I asked.

Nessie let out a small chuckle. "Sure."

"Your family is different from other vampires, right?" I asked the rhetorical question and she nodded. "How so?"

"My family doesn't feed off humans. My grandfather, Carlisle learned just after he became a vampire that he could survive on animal blood. So we hunt animals, usually only in areas that are overpopulated. We are very careful not to upset the ecosystem," Nessie sounded like she'd had to explain this to too many people throughout her life and I instantly felt my emotions start to waver. Sure I had been scared of her not two days ago, but that didn't matter. Nessie was a good person, with solid beliefs and a heart of gold. It wasn't fair that I treated her like I did or that others might as well. "You can tell the difference physically by looking at my family's eyes."

"They're a beautiful honey gold color," I said, remembering her dad Edward's eyes.

"Yes. Zafrina and the other vampires that were here, except the Denali's, their eyes are red," she said. I let it sink in for second before I realized something. I remember a time not long ago when I encountered a man with red eyes. The gas station…the sickening sweet smell…the red eyes.

"When I was in Oklahoma, I was about seven months pregnant, I was going to this farm and I stopped at a gas station and there was a man with these dark red eyes. I remember he smelled really sweet, like your parents did, and I knew he wasn't normal, that there was something not right about him. His scent was so strong and I threw up right in front of him," I shuffled my hand a bit absentmindedly, remembering that day. "I kept emphasizing my stomach hoping he'd see I was pregnant and whatever plans he had in his deranged mind wouldn't include me."

Ness was looking at me with wide eyes. "What happened?"

I shrugged. "He didn't mess me with me. He gave me directions, so it must've worked."

"I'm glad," she leaned across and hugged me. We separated and I furrowed my brow.

"Can I ask another question?" I asked and she nodded. "You're half-vampire. But I've seen you eat like real human food before."

"I'm different. I survive on regular food. I only need blood about once a month to keep my body balanced," Ness answered.

I started to ask something else but a little whimper interrupted us and I turned to see Rachel standing in the door with Liam in her arms. "Sorry girls but Liam wasn't too happy and Auntie RayRay couldn't get him happy. All these babies, it's pretty amazing," she smiled as she placed Liam in my arms. He calmed almost immediately, his whimpering stopped. "That kids like a carbon copy of Seth. I remember when he was little. God, we weren't very nice to our little brothers. One time, Mom and Sue went grocery shopping while Dad and Harry were fishing. Rebecca and Leah and I used to do fashion shows with them. We'd dress them in the most ridiculous dresses and parade them around. Dad and Harry came home and nearly flew through the roof." Rachel chuckled. "They actually didn't look half bad in those dresses now that I remember it."

That got a giggle from both Ness and I and for a minute we forgot what it was we were doing here, what we were waiting for.

**SETH'S POV**

I had to stop myself from calling Abby about a hundred times on the way to Seattle. I needed to hear her voice again, I needed her to tell me it was going to be okay. But I knew, if I called, I wouldn't want to hang up. No, we'd said our goodbyes and I had to keep it like that. Luckily, or unluckily for me, however you see it, because I had a rental minivan, I was driving. I would've rather ridden with Jake or Edward but I would drive if that's what tribe needed me to do.

"You know you don't have anything to worry about," Quil said, patting my arm. "We're gonna kick some vamp ass then go home to our girls." He chuckled a little and I joined in. Quil was relishing the thought that he and Claire had shared their first kiss before he left, Claire jumping in his arms and locking her ankles around his waist. It took Leah, Scar, and Luka to get them detached. Things had been changing between them so it was only natural, but I knew Quil was almost relieved that it was starting to go in that direction.

"Why are you so confident, anyway?" In all honestly, he should've been the least confident, considering he hadn't claimed his imprint yet. That we knew of at least.

Quil sat up straighter and got very serious. "Because I told Claire I would come home and I've never lied to her before. I don't plan on starting now." Sometimes, like now, it was hard to believe that I was the younger one of the two of us.

I patted his shoulder. "I like that logic."

We followed the convoy of cars in front of us and pulled into an empty parking lot. The air was tense, it was almost like everything around us knew this was going to be epic. Beyond epic, even. Almost the moment we stepped out of our trucks and vans, the empty lot was a fury of activity. Everyone had a job and everyone knew that job like the back of their hand, inside and out, backwards and forwards. My job was to go over the medical supplies we had with Carlisle.

We'd traded old Doctors' bags for something that looked more like a toolbox or a tacklebox, full of all the necessary supplies. Everything was fairly routine until I came across a small section with ice packs around it. I opened it slowly to count the syringes inside. Twenty in total, twenty syringes filled with Griffin's blood. Griffin's little face popped into my head as I closed up the box. Before, before Liam, I hadn't thought a lot about the sacrifice that Ness and Jake made by allowing their infant son to go through all that pain just to provide us with a lifesaving antidote. But now, as a father myself, I couldn't imagine if it were Liam in Griffin's place.

"Are we ready?" Carlisle asked, patting my back and then taking the supplies from me.

"Maybe we should've got the Doc a fanny pack to carry that shit in," Tokala chuckled. We couldn't help but join in at the thought of Dr. Carlisle Cullen, DOB 1600s, walking around the battlefield with a fanny pack. It was the last light hearted moment before it was time to phase and do what we came for.

Quil's howl filled the air and it was time. The Egyptian vampire, Benjamin, took care of weather element of the attack while we stripped down and phased, instantly inundated with the thoughts of our brothers back in La Push. The wolves at home were young, but one look into their thoughts and you could tell that they took their jobs very seriously, each one showing us their particular perimeter.

I stayed near Paul's flank as we approached the warehouse and caught sight of a stray vamp. Paul let out the alert that we had been seen and all hell seemed to break loose. The vampires on our side smashed Molotov cocktails at the building, creating large orange and red burst and a sizzle sound as the flimsy building went up in flames like a piece of paper, falling into itself. The bad vamps ran out in a herd like cattle, trampling each other as we all crouched and bared our teeth with loud growls.

"What the fuck?" I heard one of the vamps say as he looked at us. It had to be a terrifying sight, a circle of huge wolves ready to take you and your friends down. Just as the thought entered my mind, he charged towards me and I pushed with my hind legs towards him, going straight for the neck and detaching the head instantly.

"Puppy, up here, puppy," a sweet voice said and I looked up to see a teenage girl no older than Ava standing in front of me while I tried to drag the vamp I'd just killed into the fire. "Be a good puppy and I'll give you a treat." She leaned her head back and giggled loudly like a crazy person. "When's the last time you had Kibbles-n-Bits, Mutt." And there it was, the word that did it for me: Mutt. I loathed that word with every molecule of my being and I tossed the rest of the previous vampire hard enough to knock her back into the fire. Two down, who knows how many to go.

They wouldn't stop, they just seemed to come out of the warehouse like cockroaches. One after the other. The first few were easy to take down until they'd sink in a few fingernails and leave huge gashes in our fur. They would heal fairly quickly but as soon as one vamp was taken down there was another one there to attack.

"Seth!" Jasper yelled to get my attention as two more vampires approached from the sides. Twin boys, about 18 maybe, both wearing Seattle U t-shirts and practically salivating as they got closer to me. They kept advancing and I walked backwards to avoid them until I felt myself back into a tree.

_Shit!_ I thought. There was nowhere to go and I was trapped. The twins snarled at me wildly making some gestures with their hands. In a matter of milliseconds, one boy was on one side of me and another on the other side, followed by the worst burning sensation I'd every felt.

"Seth?!" Carlisle looked towards me from far off but I couldn't see him clearly as my eyes started to roll and my body started to shake as I phased back. I let out a loud howl that turned into a scream as my body transformed. I'd been bitten, by a vampire, on my left front flank, and the venom was starting to spread. "Jasper, take care of them," he pointed towards a group he was fighting. My eyes were trying to focus as little by little I felt my body slipping away. The twins were still circling me, waiting to finish me off as the human that lay in front of them now. My chest heaved. _Think of Abby…Think of Liam…They need you. Abby, my wife…Liam, my son. Ashley and Ava, Mom and Leah…family._

I couldn't see a thing, the burning spread and I touched the bite mark on my left shoulder. I could feel the blood, smell it, but I couldn't see, my eyes were locked in the back of my head. I could hear everything though. "Hey, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum!" Emmett yelled, I assumed at the vampires surrounding me. "You two remind me of this bear I met once in Tennessee." And then a loud cracking boom sound filled the air around me. Those two didn't stand a chance.

"Edward! I need your help!" I heard Carlisle yell while he held me down.

"Seth, you need to relax. The harder you fight, the faster the venom spreads," Edward said.

"You hold him while I administer the antidote," Carlisle said as his cold hands were replaced by another set of cold hands and though I couldn't see it, I felt a hard stab in my chest followed by a huge adrenaline rush that made me spring to my feet and gasp for air. It was a putrid smell that filled my empty lungs, death and gasoline, not a good combination. "Can you phase?"I wasn't really sure if I could but I decided I'd at let them think I could and I nodded my head while I continued to cough and choke. "Let's go, son," Carlisle patted me on the back and I let my anger at being bitten AND being called a mutt fill my core and I let out another howl as my sandy brown feet hit the hard ground.

_Son of a bitch, Seth. Don't do that to us,_ Scar whined through our mindlink.

_Sorry, wasn't exactly planned_, I chuckled before helping Emmett dispose of the rest of the dumbass vamps that bit me. _Yeah, not so funny now is it. _

I threw the last of the twin vampire limbs in the warehouse, turning to see three extremely pissed off female newborns. Emmett and I both growled and ran towards them launching an immediate attack on them before I even had time to completely catch my breath from the previous mission.

The fight seemed to be working. The numbers were dwindling but I couldn't find Jake or Embry and the mind link practically flickered to the two of them embattled with the Hoodie. I was fighting, but I kept Jake in the corner of my eye as he took down the bastard that seemed to have caused all this shit.

"Why don't you check out the others?" Carlisle patted my back as the last six or so bad vamps were taken down. I nodded and phased back.

I looked around and saw another wolf that had been bit. Tokala was taking slow deep breaths, and sitting on the ground. Carlisle had already administered the antidote in time before the venom could have done any serious damage. Just like he had done for me and one other wolf who had been bitten. "You okay, bro?" I asked him as he rubbed his face.

"I just feel like I jumped off a cliff," he coughed. I stooped down and examined the bite wound that had started to heal and scar.

"Let me wrap it up and it should heal fairly well," I said, grabbing a few supplies from the medical bag that Carlisle passed my way. The bite mark was on his ankle and I poured a little betadine on gauze and dabbed it on the wound then wrapped another bandage around it. "You're good." I patted his shoulder and turned to Curtis who was holding his arm. "Let me take a look."

"It was worth it," Curtis playfully shoved AJ while I grabbed some bandages.

"Yeah, well, hold still so I can keep this from healing wrong," I chuckled then set the bone and wrapped it. "Keep it immobile." I set a sling and gave him seven aspirin, hopefully enough to keep the pain away before burning off. The last person I went to check out was the second wolf that'd had bore a vampire bite. "Quil, let me check that wound."

Quil had been bitten on his thigh and when I leaned down, Quil grabbed me and lifted me up into a giant bear hug. "Woohoo! I've never felt better!"

"Put me down you sick fuck!" I chuckled and kicked my legs while Quil hugged me. "You're gonna hurt yourself."

"Bull shit," he set me down. "You can wrap it up now."

"Damn," I said. His wound was worse than most of the others, the least healed of them.

After I finished it and patted Quil on the shoulder, Carlisle patted my back. "I think we're done, Seth."

I smiled and nudged Carlisle's shoulder. "I owe you big time, Carlisle. Thanks."

Carlisle smiled. "Seth, I've seen you as my son since you and Embry and Leah and Quil joined Jake's pack. I would do anything to help you, you know that." He patted my back again. "You should call your wife, your brothers already are calling their loved ones."

I looked at my brothers who all had cell phones out and I smiled. "Yeah, I should call my wife, check on my son," I couldn't help but lighten up with the thought of going home, of seeing my wife, my son, my family. Tell her how crazy I am about her, how much I love her, and that those six weeks can't go fast enough.


	20. Return

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby, the O'Brien sisters, and Liam kinda belong to me. **

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing and creating the universe. I would seriously be lost without her guidance and friendship and her patience! We've both been crazy recently with "real life" stuff and she really helps keep me sane! Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. You will not be disappointed. Thank you, Nina, for all you do!**

**To see pictures of Seth and Abby's lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. **

**Please be sure to check out Chapter 25 of Ninadoll's**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World**_**. Alpha Jake is sexy and possessive and, well, orgasmic!**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys are the most awesome!**

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**CHAPTER 19: RETURN**

**ABBY'S POV**

It was easier to breathe with Liam in my arms. It made me feel like I had a reason to hope, because without hope, I wasn't sure I could breathe at all. He filled me with so many different things, and I owed my baby so much for the hope that he'd let live in me for so long. I ran my fingers over his very soft hair and closed my eyes. It had been at least an hour since Scar's howling episode and while things had been quiet for the most part, I wasn't convinced that no news was good news. I needed something, anything to let me know that something positive was happening.

And then, just when I felt like I was going to fall asleep with my sleeping mini-Seth in my arms, the phones started ringing. Every single cell phone in the house rang, all of them but one.

"Quil! You're coming home! Now!" Claire squealed almost knocking a whole plate of cupcakes on the ground. "I've missed you so much and I can't wait until you get back!" My phone sat on the table next to me, silent.

"It's over? Thank God, when will you be here?" Shanna asked as she walked by me. Still, my phone was silent. I clutched Liam closer. This wasn't good, this couldn't be good.

"Why hasn't Seth called?" Ashley put her hands on her hips and stood in front of me with a furrowed brow.

"I don't know, sweets. Maybe he had some really important things to do," I lied. He wasn't calling because something bad happened. I just knew it.

"I'll hold Liam so you can call Seth, if you want," Ashley bounced over to my side, looking down at Liam by my arm. "He likes me to hold him, you know?" She was so confident that I couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Come here," I said, scooting to the edge of the chair and managing to push my way out of it. Ashley hopped into the chair with a giant smile on her face and holding her arms in a cradle position. I leaned down and gently placed Liam in her arms. "Hold his neck."

"I know!" Ashley furrowed her brow at me again. "Like I haven't ever held him before?" But she immediately went back to smiling, looking down at her nephew. She totally, unconditionally loved Liam. It made my heart swell and I leaned down to kiss Ashley's cheek.

"I love you, Ash," I said as she started to hum 'You Are My Sunshine.'

"Love you, too," she answered but not taking her eyes off of the baby boy in her arms. I reached across her to the side table and grabbed my phone, just as it vibrated in my hand. I looked at the Caller ID but I didn't need to. I knew who it was: _My Husband_, it read, with a goofy picture of Seth on it. It was the first thing he did when we got home after the wedding. Since there was no sex, Seth apparently played with my cell phone! To some that might be nuts, but his silliness was part of what I loved about him.

"Hello?" I answered, biting my bottom lip for some unknown reason.

"I'm coming home, Bee," he said, sounding so out of breath I felt like I needed to breathe for both of us.

"It's over?" I asked.

"Yep, we're getting ready to load up now and then we'll be on our way," he sighed and I joined him.

I took two deep breaths before I could talk again. "Are you…Did…You're okay, right?"

His silence on the other end started to scare me and I felt my heart speed up. "I'm okay, we'll talk some more when I get there, okay?"

"Okay," I felt myself murmur and Liam hiccupped in Ashley's arms.

"Is that my son?" Seth asked and I could practically hear the smile in his voice.

I smiled back. "Yeah, Ash's holding him and she's being really sassy for some reason." I looked at Ashley who furrowed her brow and then wiggled her finger at me. "Yes, Dear?"

"Give me the phone, please," Ashley sat up straighter and I sighed.

"Hold on, Seth, she wants to talk to you" I said, putting the phone out for Ashley to take and then lifted Liam from her arms.

"Seth, this is Ashley," she said and I smiled the biggest I think I'd smiled since I'd been back. "Is your meeting over?" She tapped her finger on the arm of the chair. "So you're coming home?" She paused. "Can you stop and get me my stuffed wolf that you got me? I need to tell the little boys a story and I need it to help me."

"Ashley, he needs to come here. You can get the wolf later," I scolded her. Ashley turned to me and glared.

"I wanna tell the little boys a story! I promised!" She looked like she was going to cry and I took a deep breath. "Please, Abbs, please?" Her bottom lip started to quiver and I was about to give in. "Okay, here she is," Ashley handed the phone back to me and I balanced Liam in one arm and the phone on my other shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't be, Babe. I'll get it for her. It'll take like five seconds," he answered me and I clicked my tongue.

"You don't have to, Seth. She can wait," I didn't want argue with him but I wanted him here, to hold him and touch him. To Ashley, he had gone to a meeting and was on his way home. To me, he'd just survived a battle against bloodthirsty vampires and I wanted to make damn sure I never had to let him go again.

"Bee, I just fought off a bunch of newborn vampires and my little sister wants me to bring her something. I can do it, I need to do this, and I'll be there just as fast as if I didn't have to stop," he persisted. My heart melted when he called Ashley his little sister. Theirs was an interesting relationship that was hard to describe. I knew that Ashley probably thought of Seth more as a father, but would never let the memory of our Dad die, so he would be her big brother. And I was okay with that. But I would be lying if the thought didn't cross my mind that maybe that was too much for Seth. True to his form, my husband always surprised me and he welcomed that relationship with Ash with open arms. "I just need to do this, okay?"

"Okay," I bit my bottom lip to stop the tears. "But promise you'll hurry."

"As fast as I can. We can't get too loose with the law, I think any good cop would find a caravan of mismatched cars full of big Native American men suspicious, and we do have some strange things in the back" Seth chuckled, making my heart want to leap in my chest. "We'll be there before you know it."

"Alright," I sniffled. "I love you and I'll see you when you get home."

"I love you too, Bee. For always," he whispered into the phone. "Give my sisters and my son kisses and hugs. I'll see you soon." And before I could say anything the phone clicked and he was gone.

"Is he coming? Is he bringing my wolf?" Ashley spun around in a circle like a ballerina.

"Yes, he is, Bossy Bessie," I tried to act like I was mad but I couldn't. I was too happy that Seth was coming home to even be angry for a second.

She stopped spinning and turned to me. "Are you mad at me?" she asked with a pout.

I let out a small laugh. "No, Ash. But listen, we're all gonna be living together as a family, and you can't take advantage of him everytime you want something."

"What's that mean?" she asked with a furrowed brow.

This time I chuckled. "It means that you can't just ask him to do stuff for you and think he's going to do it," I explained. I could see that she was finally getting it but my little sister didn't seem too happy about it.

"But I like when Seth does stuff for me," Ashley crossed her arms across her chest, clearly showing me she was ready for a showdown.

"That's not what I meant, Ash," I said, knowing this was going nowhere but at least it was keeping me occupied. "I mean that you can't have him do whatever you want, whenever you want, okay?"

Ashley shook her head. "I don't, I know he has other stuff to do, I just really wanted my wolf because I promised the little boys and because Seth gave it to me and I love it so much! He gave it to me when you were gone and I…" her words stopped as she broke down in tears.

"Ash, don't cry," I rushed to her and put my arm around her, balancing Liam. "I know you love Seth."

"I don't like when our family is apart," she sobbed, putting her small hands over her cheeks. "It makes me think of when you were gone." And there it was, the heart of it all. In all the time that I had been back, I think I had apologized to everyone but one person, Ashley. I knew it had been hard for her. That was evident in the phone calls from Ava, but I hadn't realized just how traumatic it had been for a seven-year old to be okay one day and then wake up the next to find out that your family is ripped apart, then seven months later be reunited with an extra family member. "When you stopped loving me," she cried.

"Come here, Ash," I sat in the chair and motioned for her to come towards me with the arm that wasn't holding Liam. She sniffled and walked towards me, crawling up in my lap and putting her head on my free shoulder. "Listen to me, sweets. I'm not going to leave again. Ever." I pulled her chin up to look me in the eyes. Her tears were welled and about to spill over while I ran my thumb on her cheek. "I love you so very much, Ashley Olivia O'Brien, and that will never change. No matter where I am, I will always love you."

"And Seth will too?" she asked through her sniffles.

"And Seth will too," I kissed her forehead and then started to rock slowly in the chair. My heart ached at the thought that Ashley could ever believe that I would stop loving her. If I had learned anything in the last few months, and particularly today, my family was so much larger than I had ever dreamed, and there was so much more love here than I'd ever noticed before. I looked around, feeling Ashley get heavier in my arms, and took in just how much love was around me. Everyone was excited that the boys were coming home, but more than that. They were excited their family was going to be whole again. Family was so important to them that they were willing to risk their lives to protect even just one of them. And now it seemed so silly that I ever doubted Seth's love for me, that I'd spent seven months thinking he didn't love me, or that I didn't belong.

"You want me to take her?" a voice asked and I looked up to see Sam Uley towering above me.

"Thanks, Sam," I said as he leaned down and gently lifted a sleeping Ashley from my arms.

"Has she started at the Tribal School yet?" he asked and I shook my head.

"She starts on Monday, the following week. She says she's not nervous but I think she really is but doesn't want any of us to worry," I told him honestly.

"Well, a friend of mine has a daughter who'll be in Ashley's class. I could see if he might bring her over this weekend and Ash could meet her before she has to start school," Sam asked and I smiled. _Family._

I nodded to him. "That would be great, Sam. Thanks!"

"It's no problem. I know the principal really well too. Seth does too, actually. If she gives you guys any problems though and he can't take care of it, let me know and I'll straighten it out for you," he said.

"Thank you, Sam," I wasn't sure what else to say.

"No problem at all," he grinned, laying Ashley down on the couch.

"If you give a wolf a waffle he'll eat all your syrup," she mumbled in her sleep. I watched her sleep for a bit, listening to the commotion around me. Everyone was brighter and happier than we'd been in weeks. Nessie had ordered lamb from a Moroccan restaurant, Ava had supplied us with enough baked goods to feed an army, and all the babies were being readied for the arrival.

I felt my body relax and I finally sighed a deep breath of relief. My husband was returning to me, my wolf was coming home. What more could I ask for?

**SETH'S POV**

"Brady, wake up. We're in La Push," I said before pelting him with a McDonald's napkin.

"Seriously, Seth? Seriously?" he groaned as he wiped drool from his chin. "I was in the middle of the most amazing dream," Brady yawned, moving his neck from side to side and popping it.

"Yeah, don't think you're going to be having any amazing dreams become a reality anytime soon," I chuckled.

Brady scoffed. "Speak for yourself, Clearwater." It was peacefully quiet with just Brady and me, Quil switching cars to ride with Embry and Jake, though I didn't envy him. That was sure to be one tense vehicle ride.

"Toss me my phone," I said, clearing my throat and waiting for Brady to dig through the glove compartment and find it. He handed it to me with a smirk. "Hey, Jake. I gotta veer off course and stop my house for a sec."

"Sure, sure," Jake replied.

"You're so whipped, even your imprint's sisters have you eating out of the palms of their hands," Brady chuckled.

Truth be told, I didn't really care if what he said was the case. Since my Dad had died, I had been surrounded by women. It had been my responsibility to take care of them and, God help me, I loved it. I turned off the main road onto Clearwater Road and ran quickly through the house to Ashley's bedroom. I grabbed the stuffed wolf, and ran out. We were back on the main road and at the back of the caravan before I felt like I'd even taken a breath.

As we got closer to the Jake's, the trees beside us started to move and the air pressure changed as the young wolves started to phase back. Brady and I both chuckled as we passed a nearly naked Sebastian when we turned onto Jake and Nessie's drive.

"Pervs!" Sebastian yelled causing both of us to laugh.

"We're home," Brady said, shoving my shoulder.

"Yep," I put the van in park. It was ridiculously noisy as the women and children practically bounced rushing out of the house. Almost immediately after I stepped out of the car, the comforting pumpkin pie scent of my imprint hit my nose and I walked towards it.

"Seth! Seth!" Ashley met me first with her arms up and as much as I wanted to go straight to Abby and Liam, I loved that my little sister was so happy to see me. I picked her up and spun her around as she giggled. "We missed you! I held Liam and I told him you would be home soon and he smiled and then Ava made cookies and cakes and pies and it smells so good inside and I missed you so much!" I chuckled and kissed her forehead watching Abby from the corner of my eye. She wiped at her cheeks and I smiled as I headed her way with Ashley in my arms.

"Oh, I think I have something for you," I reached into the van and pulled the stuffed wolf out.

"Yay! You brought me, Sandy number 2!" Ashley cuddled the stuffed animal and contented herself in my arms.

"So, I hear you had an exciting afternoon," Abby said slyly with a seductive smile on her lips.

"Something like that," I answered, wrapping my free arm around her and Liam and pulling her to me. My arm with Ashley in it started to burn a little from the bite mark and I sat her down on the ground. "Why don't you give our son to my sister so you can welcome me home properly?" I smirked.

She nodded as Leah walked up and took Liam. "Welcome home, little brother," Leah raised her eyebrows. I didn't say anything, just nodded and as soon as Liam was out of Abby's arms, I scooped my imprint up and crashed my lips to her, probably harder than she expected.

"Ummm," she moaned as I swiped my tongue against her bottom lip.

"Hey now, you two. There are children present," Mom's voice broke us up and I sat Abby down and hugged Mom. "You were careful?"

"Of course," I smiled.

I was tired, but part of me just wanted to take everything in, to make all these new memories. My hand never left Abby's while we ate and celebrated our victory. I was absolutely, at that moment, the happiest man on the planet.

After we'd eaten and Ava made plans to stay out a little later with a few of the younger wolves, I took my wife, my son, and my little sister home. "Do you want to get Liam bathed and dressed and I'll help Ashley?" Abby asked when we walked through the cabin door.

"Of course," I grinned, picking up my mini-me from his car seat. "Come on, son." I turned on the water in Liam's bathroom and smiled even more when Liam would kick his little legs in the water. I was halfway through when Ashley bounded in with wet hair and a pink night gown with a monkey on it.

"Night, Seth," she smiled and Abby helped her hop onto the counter. Abby made her way to me and took over Liam with a nudge towards Ashley. She sat with her arms outstretched. "I love you, big brother," she giggled. I picked her up and gave her a tight hug.

"Love you too, princess Ashley," I said.

"I'll trade you," Abby handed me Liam who was wrapped like a burrito in a towel. I took him and then place a kiss on Abby's lips.

"My muscles are a little sore. Would you help me take a bath after we get them settled?" I whispered, nuzzling her neck a little. She nodded and I carried Liam to his bedroom. I rocked him in the chair, thinking about just how much I'd almost lost today. How much I'd gained in just a few weeks. I watched my son close his eyes and drift into sleep while I rocked and ran my fingers over his hair.

"The bath's ready for you," Abby whispered from the doorway. I nodded to her and carried Liam over to his crib, leaning down and gently placing him on the mattress. I turned around and walked towards Abby.

"Help me get in?" I asked, milking it for all I was worth, rubbing my hands up her arms and kissing her gently.

"Okay," she stood on her tip toes and put her arms around my neck. "I'm so glad you're home."

"I'm glad to be home," I said honestly. We walked quietly to our bedroom, then slipped into the bathroom. Abby leaned down to check the water temperature while I started to undress. My shoulder ached. I was completely naked when I remembered I'd forgotten to tell my wife something.

"What is that?" Abby asked. Apparently I didn't need to tell her, she figured it out with one look. "Your shoulder, what happened?" Abby came towards me and looked at the battle wound. "Did you…is that a bite?"

I nodded. "I'm okay though. We used Griffin's blood to counteract the venom. Carlisle got to me before the venom spread."

"Little Griffin? Griffin Black?" she swallowed hard while I nodded again. "Wow," Abby looked down. I knew that the maternal instinct in her had her heart melting.

"Can we talk about it later, Bee? I really just need to soak my muscles," I asked. She came towards me and put her arm around my waist, though I knew she wouldn't be helping me get into the tub, but I let her think she was.

"Is it too warm?" Abby asked me. I had my arm around her as she used all her strength to help me in the tub, one leg at a time.

"No, Sweetie. It's just fine," I let myself sink into the warm water and let out a moan.

"What? What happened? Is it too hot?" my wife panicked and I chuckled at her.

I leaned my head back and looked at her. "No, I moaned because it feels good."

"Ohhh," Abby giggled. Little Seth remembered that giggle, it was similar to the giggle that had led to the act that produced Liam. She rose up from the side of the tub and I grabbed her hand.

"Will you hop in with me?" my voice about an octave lower than usual.

Her eyes were cautious but scanned my body. I knew she wanted to, I could see it in her eyes. "It's still five weeks before we can—"

I cut her off. "I just want to hold you, Abby. I…when I got bit today, my first thought was of you. I didn't want you to have to go on without me, maybe that's selfish but I—" This time she cut me off, leaning forward to kiss me and lacing her fingers through my hair.

"I never want to lose you," she whispered into my lips and held me tight. She didn't care that her shirt was getting all wet or that my fingers were now making their way to the buttons on the shirt. "I love you so very much, Seth Clearwater. I love you for always."

"And a day," I said back to her, slowly unbuttoning the top button of her shirt while I kissed her. _No sex._ I reminded myself but I couldn't help not wanting to touch her. We'd had kisses and the occasional grope but I really needed to feel her, I guess subconsciously to know she was real. To get some assurance that this hadn't all been a dream, or in some cases, a terrifying nightmare.

"Hold on," Abby pulled away from me and stood up. I watched her walk to the bathroom door and lock it. I could tell I'd won. She turned around slowly and pulled her hair up twisting it and grabbing an elastic band to tie it up. Abby kicked off her slip-on shoes. "Don't…my body…I'll look different. I still have baby weight." Her cheeks pinked and I made eye contact with her to smile.

"You're always beautiful, Bee," I licked my lips when I saw her fingers creep up to the second button on her dress. My heart beat faster with each button she undid until she slid the dress off her shoulders and looked at me.

"I'm sorry my bra's not sexier, it's a nursing bra and—"

"Don't apologize. You're perfect, and I'm enjoying the view, if I do say so," I smirked, hoping to lighten the mood a little. Abby took a deep breath and unbuttoned the last button on the dress, pushing it over her hips and down until it fell on the floor. Her bra and panties were simple, but they were her and that made them sexy in a hundred ways. Her hands reached around her back and she bit her lip unclasping it. "Don't be nervous, Abby. We're not gonna do anything, I just want to hold you, I need to."

"I know, I'm just worried you won't like what you see anymore," her eyes looked down but she slid her bra off anyway and I almost gasped. She was even more beautiful than I'd remembered.

"I love what I see, Bee. And if you were sitting with me, you'd know it," I chuckled. I kept my eyes on my wife though. She was taking deep breaths and then ran her fingers under the elastic of her panties, sliding them down with one movement and stepping out of them. "Now, come here."

Abby nodded and glided towards me. She grabbed the washcloth from the countertop and I offered my hand to help her in the tub. "You have to let me wash you first. You smell like," she leaned in and took a deep huff of my scent. "Fire. And Gasoline."

"If you insist, my love," I said while I ran my hand up the outside of her thigh and she shivered.

"Don't go thinking any of that's going to happen, Seth. I intend on healing completely before that's a possibility," Abby was matter of fact and I couldn't help but chuckle at her again. She knelt, facing me in the large Jacuzzi tub, lathering the washcloth with soap and the water. I sat back and watched her. She moved forward a little and started at my neck, gently rubbing with the soapy cloth then traveling down my chest and shoulders. "Is this where you were bit?"

I opened my eyes and looked at the crescent mark Abby was tracing with her fingers. "Yeah. It won't go away, the venom makes it permanent. So see," I cradled her cheek in my hand. "You're not the only one whose body is different."

"Not the same," she whispered before kissing my lips. "But thanks."

"Besides that, your body brought us our most precious gift, Abby," I leaned into her. "Thank you for that."

I could tell that she was sniffling as she ran the washcloth up my shoulder and stopping to wrap both her arms around my neck. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on mine. "I…when I found out I was pregnant, I wasn't sure how you would react, but I knew I could never not love something that had so much of you in it. And when Liam was born, the moment they laid him on my chest, all I could see was you." Abby's lips puckered as she pressed them to mine again. I knew my body was tense. I hated to even think that there was a time when we were apart. "He's so special, so perfect because he's so much like you."

I kissed her this time, wiping her cheeks. "He's got quite a bit of you in him too, Bee." I tucked my arms under hers and closed the distance so that her breasts were plastered against my chest. "Tell me about when you were pregnant with Liam?" It had been a taboo subject before. I hadn't wanted to think for even a minute that she wasn't with me for even a day, nonetheless seven months. I didn't let myself think about that when I had been preparing for the battle.

Abby didn't move though and I couldn't resist, slightly squeezing her breast. "What do you want to know?" she asked. I could tell her tone had changed and she sounded frightened or scared.

"Just tell me about it. Was it normal? Did you have any complications? When did you…when did you feel him move? Find out he was a boy? That kind of stuff," I made sure to kiss her sweetly on the cheek again to make sure she knew it was okay. I wasn't mad or wanted to argue, I had been bitten by a vampire less than 12 hours ago and I wanted to hear my wife tell me about something I hadn't been lucky enough to experience. I needed that for some reason.

"I found out on Valentine's Day," Abby's voice was a whisper.

"I was going to propose that night," I interrupted while I took the washcloth from her hand and squeezed it out, releasing the warm water to run down her neck.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice still soft and sweet.

I moved a strand of hair from her neck, then sat the cloth down on the side of the tub. "Remember, we said we weren't going to do that? So, I'm sorry. We can't change what happened, just be glad we're together now," I leaned back a little further and lifted her head to rest on my right shoulder. "Keep going."

"It was normal, I guess. I was sick a lot in the beginning, but it went away after the first trimester. I had this smelling thing though, sometimes when I would smell certain things I would gag," Abby closed her eyes and rested one of her hands on my knee that was up beside her. "Like one time, I saw a vampire and it made me vomit and that was when I was seven months along."

_What did she just say? _"You saw a what?" I asked, completely confused. I was having trouble keeping my voice down too. I had forgotten that I had a houseful with Liam in the bedroom, Ashley down the hall and Ava and Scar in the living room.

"A vampire," she said. She said it so nonchalantly and I thought she might have been mistaken but she seemed so sure. "At least, that's what Nessie said."

I shook my head. "Okay, start from the beginning and tell me this again. And how the hell did Ness know?"

"I told her. This afternoon, she and I talked. She told me that good vampires have gold eyes and bad ones have red eyes. I saw a guy in Oklahoma that had red eyes and smelled like candied apples and maple syrup with a hint of vinegar. Not a pretty combination," Abby turned up her nose. "When I told her, she confirmed it."

"You didn't know he was a vamp at the time?" I asked, lightly stroking her skin.

"No. I knew something wasn't right with him but I had no clue what he was," she said. "Can we go back to the Liam talk now?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Um, what about when he was born?" I said, now wrapping her with both my arms.

She chuckled at me. "I was watching the History Channel when he decided to make his appearance. It was normal and the moment they placed him on my stomach, the only thing I saw was you," Abby inclined her head to look at me. "And even though you were so far away, I felt like you were there with me." Her eyes started to well with tears but I didn't tell her to stop them, I just waited until they made their exit from her eyes and I wiped them away with my thumb.

She was on her knees straddling me in the large tub and I had to keep the wolf side of me dormant while she hovered so close to me. She was holding me so tight and my body was more than willing to accept her strength. I needed my wife as close to me as possible, I needed to be reminded that I was home. And that was the truth. As long as I was in Abby's arms, I was home.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Seth Clearwater," Abby whispered against my lips. "I love you too much to have that feeling of hopelessness too often." Her fingertips danced on my new battle wound.

She turned in my arms, snuggling her back into my chest and sighing loudly. "You know I don't think I could ever get tired of holding you," I said, pressing my lips to the back of her neck.

Abby giggled a little and relaxed more in my arms. "Good, because I intend on having you hold me for a very long time."

"Have I told you that you are without a doubt the most beautiful woman in the world?" I kissed her neck again, then ran my hands down her arms and felt goosebumps form. "I love the way your body reacts to me," I kissed up her neck to her jaw bone.

"Uhmmm…" she moaned and I smiled against her skin.

"Like I said, I love your body," I knew I was playing with fire and damn if my little minx didn't wiggle her hips against me and making Mini-Seth firm up. "Um, are you wanting me to explode here, Abigail?"

My wife sighed and picked up my hand from her right arm and kissed my palm. "I just love the way your body reacts to me too," she said, moving my hand again, this time to rest on her breast. I squeezed it slightly then moved my hand down her stomach. I remembered how she felt before Liam but now, she felt more…sexy? She still had a slight baby bump and, God help me, I loved that. I don't know if it was the wolf in me that was pleased as punch that I'd been able to successfully mate with my imprint. I wanted to move my hand farther south, but I knew better. I let it rest on her abdomen, nibbling on her ear a little. It made me think about so many things, touching her like this.

I really started to worry when our kisses were not longer the sweet innocent kiss from the beginning of the bath. Oh hell no, this was a little more rough and desperate and I knew we were both so sexually frustrated that we couldn't stand it. I was thinking so hard about that that I didn't even realize that one of her small hands had drifted down to below the bathwater and I groaned when I felt her grab hold of me. This was definitely new on the list of sexual exploits of Seth and Abigail Clearwater. "I love you," I said, feeling her twist her hand around Little Seth.

"Is this okay?" Abby asked shyly and as if I didn't want her enough, I instantly felt myself get harder and moved my hands to grab the side of the tub feeling my body start to tense.

"Yes, always, anything…you do is always…always okay," I stuttered as she continued to move her hand under the water. "You don't have to…if you don't…ugh." Iclosed my eyes tight and waited knowing that the rubberband was about to pop.

"Shh. I want to," she put her lips to mine and I leaned back and let my wife work.

**ABBY'S POV**

I sat up on my elbows, giggling softly and looking down at my husband who had a contented smile on his face. We were still dripping wet from the bathwater after Seth carried me into the bedroom and placed me on gently on the bed. I snuggled into his side with a sigh. "I should put clothes on," I said, placing a kiss on his chest.

"No, not yet," Seth pulled me closer, resting his hand on the small of my back.

I loved when he held me, but what I loved most about it was how every touch was like the first time he touched me. The sparks were always there, every single time. "I'm gonna have to feed Liam in about twenty minutes and I don't think you want our son to see us both completely naked," I ran my fingers up her chest and then ran it down, resting my hand on his belly button.

"You know, there is something we haven't really discussed that we probably should," Seth said, kissing my hair and running his large, hot finger up and down my spine.

"What's that?" I asked.

"I know Liam's still really young, and that we haven't even made love since we've been back together, but, um, what," he swallowed hard and then cleared his throat. "What are our plans, you know, for the future?"

"What do you mean?" I asked again, this time more confused than before.

"Well, before, things were all crazy and I was wrapped up in the battle and we didn't really have time to talk about things that normal couples talk about," he said, still not really making sense to me.

"Like?"

"For starters, how many kids do we want? When do we want another one? That kind of thing," Seth said very nonchalantly while I looked at him like he'd lost his mind. He clearly caught onto that look too. "What? It's normal for husbands and wives to talk about this stuff."

I took a deep breath and tried to regain my composure. He was right, we did need to have this conversation but I wasn't sure why it had to be now. Liam was only three weeks old and my days were devoted to him and my sisters. Why would I need to think about other babies coming along? Seth looked like he was cowering, waiting for some sort of Post-pregnancy Hormone Rage to explode. I remained calm though. "How many do you want?" I asked, before clapping my hand over my mouth. That wasn't what I wanted to say. I wasn't sure what I wanted to say, but that was not it.

"I don't know. Two or three, depends, I guess," Seth answered, looking in my eyes and causing that familiar pull to strengthen and feel like my heart to was tied onto a chain that he wore.

"Okay," I answered back.

"When do we want to have another baby?" he had a little too much excitement in his voice.

"Seth, I just had Liam. Its' gonna be awhile before we have another little one," I answered confidently and sternly.

He put his hands up and waved them back and forth. "No, I know. I just mean that we should have some plans for the long run. You know, we can plan," Seth smirked and looked away. "I guess its' the wolf in me that feels the need to mate with my wife."

I frowned. "So you only want little babies from me?"

"That's the wolf side. The Seth-side wants to expand our family and make love to his wife," he pulled me up further in his arms so he could kiss my lips. "But it's always up to you, Abby. I want what you want."

Seth's voice was soft and gentle and made every inch of me tingle. It was the best feeling in the world, more euphoric than any orgasm. It was love, deep true love. "Why don't we let Liam get a little older? I do want him to have siblings, though," I whispered.

"God, I love you, Abigail Clearwater," he said, rolling so that he was on top of me. It was another innocent kiss that turned passionate quickly but was interrupted by our son, who was waking up for his midnight feeding. And after I slipped my nightgown on, instead of feeding him in the nursery, I brought him to our bed, sitting up with my back against the headboard. This was my family, this was my home. We were together and we were safe. Life was good.

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**Second AN: There is only one chapter left…the epilogue! But I promise, Ava and Scar's story will continue and a sequel to this is in the works. To make sure you know when the sequel is up, please add me to an author's alert. Thank you again!**


	21. Slow and Steady Wins the Race

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the wolves or vampires that might appear in this story. They either belong to Stephenie Meyer or to the lovely Ninadoll, including the very adorable Griffin Black! The O'Brien sisters and Liam are really the only thing I might lay claim to.**

**Very special thank you to Ninadoll! Thank you so much for creating this universe and letting me be a part of it! It's so much fun working with you and I consider myself lucky to not only have you as a beta but a friend! You keep me motivated and encourage me when I feel like I could give up! You are an amazing person and friend! You are awesome!**

**Please be sure to check out her new story about the yummy Embry Call called **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**! It is off to an amazing start and Nina has fabulous plans for it so please check it out! **

**And thank you to shojioxlow, my friend and fellow Okie! You have no idea how much I appreciate your support and encouragement! **

**Finally, I promise, this will **_**NOT**_** be the last chapter of Love You For Always. With help from the fabulous Nina, we decided there's more to be done in this story. The updates might not follow a specific timeline, but they will be things that need to happen. And I promise I'm working on the next chapter of A Love That Defies All Logic, but this chapter needed to come first.**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out ****blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of clothes and such from this chapter!**

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**CHAPTER 20: SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE**

**SETH'S POV**

Most mornings, I didn't mind getting up early. Today was a different story. Abby was going to her first post-Liam appointment with Kim and all I wanted to do this morning was hold her. I had begged her to forget using another doctor and just let me check her out. But, as she said, "I think that's probably something I should pay someone else to look at."

We had decided that she would stay home with Liam for a few more months before she started back to work, and, as luck would have it, Ginger was moving to Seattle in December to live with her new fiancée, Henry Blanchard, giving Abby her clinic back. I know that as much as she loved Liam and being home with him, she missed her job too.

Abby took a deep breath in my arms, where her back was against my chest. I knew she was waking up but I didn't want us to have to get out of bed yet. Liam was still sleeping and I wanted my wife to get as much rest as possible now because I had plans to keep her up very late tonight.

"It's hot," Abby mumbled and I loosened my grip on her. "No, don't let go. Just push the covers down."

I chuckled. "As much as I would love that, you know I'm naked. I don't think we want a repeat of last week when Ava almost saw my ass."

Abby turned in my arms to face me. "It's such a nice ass though," she ran her hands down to my backside and squeezed. "I certainly enjoy looking at it."

"Yes, but it's only for you to see, my dear," I laughed, running my hand down her side to her ass then brought it down to her knee, hitching it up quickly to hear her gasp. "Like that, do we?"

"I do," she breathed. "Very much," her lips moved to meet mine gently. "I love you," she whispered between kisses.

Now, this was the difficult part, Abby hadn't been cleared by Kim for any kind of "activity." But the wolf kicked in and I could sense the desire in her, not to mention the scent was driving me absolutely insane. "Bee," I groaned as she pushed herself harder into me. "We have to stop, Sweetie," I kissed her deeply. "Trust me, I have big plans for us tonight." That was assuming everything went well at the doctor and we were given the okay. I pulled my wife closer to me and wrapped my arms around her more. "Do you want me to go with you? To the appointment?"

I could practically see Abby's face turn red as she fervently shook her head no. "I'll be okay. You'll just have to keep Liam for a bit today and pick up Ash from school."

I nodded. "Not a prob," my eyes felt heavy again and I closed them.

"Don't go to sleep, Seth," Abby said and I could practically hear the smirk in her voice. "We have to get up."

"I know, I'm just trying to savor the moment," I inhaled quickly and then opened my eyes to look at my wife. She was eye level with me and she moved her hands to my hair, softly running her fingers through it. "I'm getting a haircut before you bring Liam by," I told her.

"No, don't," Abby twisted her fingers in my hair a little more as a small knock sounded on the door.

"Abby," the voice on the other side of the knock whispered. "Abby, is it time to get up?"

I smiled and chuckled. The voice was my little sister, well, I considered her my little sister. Ashley seemed to love her new school and was always more than anxious to go. It had been a little more than four weeks and she had already struck up a friendship with a Quileuete girl named Sydney who had even been over to our house several times. Sam introduced the two of them and they were fast friends. It made me happy to know that Ashley seemed to be fitting in well. It was one less thing I knew Abby would worry about and I was happy both of them were so comfortable on the rez.

"You can come in, Ash," Abby said as I slid a pair of shorts I kept next to the bed.

Ashley popped her head in with a giggle. "Good morning," she said opening the door and skipping in with the normal Sadie following in after her.

"Good morning, sweets," Abby sat up in the bed and pulled Ashley into her lap.

"Morning, Ash," I grinned, leaning over to Liam's bassinet and pulling it over to me. He was still sleeping soundly but I couldn't stop myself from looking at him.

Ashley leaned all the way across our bed to look at Liam and then smiled up at me. "Am I still going to stay at Jake and Nessie's tonight?"

"Yep," I said watching her smile. Ashley loved spending time at Jake and Nessie's. I'm pretty sure she liked it because it gave her the chance to spend time with Griffin who was second to Liam in her book of coolest people under the age of five.

Ash hopped out of the bed and started to scurry out the door to who knows where to do who knows what. "I love you, Seth," Abby whispered, putting her forehead to mine.

"I love you too, Abby," I said kissing Abby's lips.

Ashley ran down the hall in front of our door, laughing. "Go get your clothes and I'll be in to help you get dressed in a minute!" Abby yelled. I knew as soon as she did it, she regretted it and I looked over at Liam. He was not a happy camper, suddenly awake and screaming his head off. "Shoot!"

It was honestly the first time I'd seen my son so upset. He never really cried too much, just whimpers and hiccups. But this was a full-blown angry cry. I scooped him up from his bassinet and unwrapped him from the burritoed blanket to hold him to my chest. "It's okay, Liam. Shh," I cooed, rubbing his back as he started to calm down.

"Mommy's sorry, baby. I didn't mean to be so loud," Abby said. I pulled Liam from my chest to lay him flat on his back on the bed between my outstretched legs. Abby leaned down and placed kisses on his red, wrinkled forehead and nose as he kicked. He had stopped crying but he still looked entirely too pissed off. Abby looked at me and the moment our eyes met we both laughed. "You go get ready for work and I'll take him."

I showered and dressed while Abby got Liam and Ashley dressed and ready for the day. I gave her a quick kiss before I left. "I'll bring him by about one," she said .

My morning was full of patients and paperwork while in between patients, I finalized the arrangements for the date tonight, making reservations at a popular restaurant in Forks. I worked until Abby came by just a little after one, carrying Liam into my office, snug in his carseat, bundled up with a fluffy blue coat and much happier than he was this morning. She made a stop at the front desk where Jackie doted on him, as well as a few of the old white-haired patients that managed to move quicker than most of them had in years just to see my little wolf. I beamed as I walked up towards them. "Sorry we're a little late," Abby pulled Liam out and handed him to me.

I cradled Liam in one arm and wrapped my other one around Abby's waist to pull her closer to me. "It's okay," I said into her hair, giving it a slight kiss.

"My appointment is in thirty minutes so I need to head out," Abby said, melting into my side a little more. "I fed him about ten minutes ago so he'll be okay until later."

"Are you sure you don't just want me to just do the exam?" I asked. I knew full well the answer but God help me, it was a thrill to watch her squirm a little. She'd already been to Kim once right after the fight to make sure everything was healing okay. Abby decided to start birth control then too, though it has done little to stop my need to mate with her. She gave me a look and I chuckled. "I'm just kidding. Be safe and I love you."

"Love you too, Sethy," she smiled and walked out the door.

I looked down at the baby in my arms who was smiling up at me. I loved my son more than I could have ever imagined I could love a child but the amazing thing was, I knew that he loved me too. I could see it in his eyes, in how he relaxed in my arms and in his smile that was so much like mine it was scary. "So, little man, what should we do today?" Liam yawned and settled in my arms as I figured out something I needed to do and probably should've done as soon as we got back from Oklahoma as a family. "I'm gonna be gone for the rest of the afternoon, Jackie. It's Friday anyway, take the afternoon off."

"Thank you, Dr. Clearwater," Jackie smiled.

Within fifteen minutes, the office was clear and I had Liam in the car headed to my destination. I pulled into the cemetery in La Push within thirty minutes and turned off the car. Liam wasn't asleep and I was thankful for that. I got out slowly and then unbuckled Liam from his carseat, pulling him to my chest and patting his back gently. I walked a few steps to the exact stone that had become familiar to me. I hadn't been here in months, and I hadn't been here with my son. I pulled Liam's hat down more to keep him warm against the chilly breeze.

"Here we are," I said standing at the foot of my Dad's grave. "Liam, I've got someone I want you to meet." I cradled Liam in my arms and put his tiny hand to my heart. "This is your grandfather, Harry." I took a deep breath trying to reign in the onslaught of emotions. "He was a really great guy and you would've loved him. He…he was the best Dad and I…" I had to stop for a moment. It had been years since my father had passed away and it wasn't like I didn't think about him anymore. I did, I just never realized how much I truly wished he were here until I had my own son. Then suddenly it became an issue of all the things my son wouldn't get to experience with his grandfather. "You would love fishing with him. He was a great fisherman and…he and Grandpa Charlie would go fishing all the time." I wiped away a few small tears and turned my attention to the headstone. "I really wish you could meet him, Dad. He's just a baby but he's so special and he looks so much like you and me and L-Leah." I sniffled and looked at Liam who squirmed but then smiled at me, bringing me to a sense of reality. "I love you Dad and I miss you. I promise I'll tell Liam all about you and I hope you're proud of me." Liam squirmed again and I looked at my watch. "But right now, I'm going to pick my little sister up from school and spend an evening with my wife. I'll visit again and bring Liam back to see you. Love you, Dad," I breathed in, pulling Liam up and inhaling his soft baby scent that was a mixture of cinnamon and pine. I held his hand up to wave then walked back to the car.

I picked up Ashley at school and watched as she skipped out to the car. "Hey munchkin," I said, handing her a granola bar. "How was your day?"

"Thanks," she said, taking the granola bar and opening it quickly to take a first bite. "It was good. I learned how to multiply numbers by 10." Ashley took a bite of the snack and then leaned down to look at Liam. "And Abby made me a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich! And I had milk and some apple slices. It was like the best lunch ever!" I chuckled watching her make funny faces at Liam.

"Sounds like a great day," I said. "What's ten times five?"

"Fifty!" she said without missing a beat. "I have to warn you, I'm good at math."

We drove the rest of the way home with me quizzing her, multiplying any number I could think of by ten. It only lasted until we walked in the door of the cabin and she ran up the stairs then came back down seconds later with a book in her hands. _The Tortoise and the Hare._

"Interesting choice," I said, taking the book from her. I sat on the couch, cradling Liam in one arm and then holding the book so Ashley could see it next to me. About the time I got to the end, the hare having lost the race, Abby walked in the door. She didn't say anything, just looked at me. I gave her a funny look and nodded. Ashley sat up on her knees.

"Liam, this is my favorite part," she whispered over to the baby in my arms.

I smiled and continued to watch Abby out of the corner of my eye. I put my thumb up, then down and gave her a questioning look, hoping she'd get what I was asking. Abby smiled nervously and gave me a thumb up. I was trying really hard to control myself but I grinned back widely and could hear Abby's heart speed up. We were given the okay to go all the way!

"Seth, finish the story," Ashley said, bringing me out of anticipated sex-induced gaze.

"Sorry, munchkin," I said before turning back to the book. "_Slow and steady wins the race_."

Abby slipped out of the room and I finished up the last of book before walking up the stairs with Liam to find my wife. "I should feed him before we take them over to the Blacks'," she said, sensing my presence.

"Do you want me to just take them over now?" I asked.

I could see her shaking her head that had somehow been put up in Velcro rollers during the time between the end of the story and now. "Let me just finish with the last little bit of my make up. Then I'll get him fed and we can take them over together before dinner," she smiled at me through the mirror and I could see she was starting to warm up to the idea of our date.

Abby finished getting ready, then fed Liam while I got dressed. Ava was staying with Claire tonight and I was ready for a night of possibilities. I helped Abby put the kids in the car, then opened the door for my wife. "You look amazing," I said, eyeing her pinkish colored dress.

"Thank you," she blushed.

"You're gonna be okay leaving Liam and Ash, right?" I kissed her forehead and she nodded.

"Just give me a few minutes to get them settled before we go," Abby kissed my lips and slid into the car. I shut the door behind her and took a deep breath. Oh, the plans I had for tonight!

**ABBY'S POV**

"I put extra diapers and wipes in this pocket and his pacifier in this one. Ashley pretty well knows where anything else is," I said, rummaging through Liam's diaper bag. "Oh, and bottles in here. The breastmilk goes in the fridge, but you knew that already."

"Quit stressing, Abby. They'll be fine," Nessie smiled reassuringly at me.

Liam was six weeks old roughly and after my doctor's appointment with Kim this afternoon, Seth planned a big romantic evening for us. His was, he said, making up for the fact that we didn't really get much of a wedding night or honeymoon. We couldn't go far, just dinner in Forks before heading home for, well…

"Ashley," I called for her to come towards me and she brought a teetering Griffin attached to her fingers with her. "Be good, okay? And call me if you need me. You have my phone number, Seth's phone number, and Auntie Leah's right?"

"And Grandma Sue and Nessie and Jake and Mr. Billy Black and stop worrying," Ashley smiled. "I like playing here and Ness and Jake kinda know what they're doing."

"Okay, okay," I kissed her cheek and hugged her while Griffin giggled. "I love you and Seth and I will be here to pick you up in the morning."

"Not too early! Jake said he's gonna make me some chocolate chip pancakes, num, num!" Ash rubbed her stomach and smirked. She was still holding Griffin's hand and walked him over to Liam's carrier where he was sleeping soundly. "We have to be very quiet. Liam's taking his nap," she whispered to Griffin who responded with a giggling noise.

"Bye, sweet prince," I leaned down and kissed Liam's forehead and watched him squirm a little. "Thank you, again." I stood up, giving Nessie a hug.

"Don't mention it. We love having all the little ones here," Ness smiled and pulled away.

Jake came in from the kitchen with a laptop in his hands and Seth on his heels. "Don't wear Dr. Clearwater out too much, Abby," he chuckled and I could practically feel my face turn red.

"Jakey, be nice!" Nessie playfully swatted at Jake who wrapped his arm around Nessie's waist. "You just have fun, Abby. You and Seth deserve a night to yourself."

"Thanks," I smiled. "Call me if you need anything," I hugged Nessie one last time, then somehow made my way to hugging Jake too.

"Come on, Bee," Seth clasped my hand in his and leaned over to kiss my cheek. He held my hand as we walked out to the car and I turned back to give Ash one last wave while she stood in the window with Griffin. "They're going to be fine. Don't worry," he kissed me and then closed the car door.

We made little chit chat on the drive to Forks, I told him all the details of my appointment with Kim. He talked about his day with Liam, something that I found incredibly sexy. Seth as my husband was hot but Seth as the father of my child was damn sexy. Was that weird?

We pulled into the restaurant in Forks and I could feel myself relax. Seth and I hadn't had a good track record with going out to dinner. So far, we'd been interrupted by a wolf being shot and then of course, a failed Valentine's Day.

"Welcome to Fork and Spoon!" The hostess greeted us with a huge smile on her face.

"Reservation for Clearwater," Seth grinned. The place was busy and I looked around while Seth grabbed my hand.

"Right this way, Dr. Clearwater," the hostess said, leading us to a small intimate table, covered with candles. "Can I get you anything to drink from the bar?"

Seth looked at me, I knew asking if it would be okay for him to have a drink. "It's fine, sweetie," I told him, as he pulled out my chair for me.

"Jack and Coke for me, water for my wife, please," Seth said. My body surged at the sound of him calling me his wife. I blushed and fluffed my hair a bit while Seth sat down across from me and took my hand. "What'd you think?"

"It's nice," I answered, squeezing his hand on top of the table.

The dinner was more than nice, it was delectable. From the French Onion Soup appetizer to my seared tuna to the fruit tart for dessert. But my eyes didn't leave my husband's. He was intoxicating, pouring the carafe of water for me, and pulling my hand up to kiss it. I loved the feeling of his lips anywhere on my body, but there was one place in particular that anytime Seth kissed, I literally got goosebumps. He pulled my arm up and placed his lips on my tattoo, sending shivers up my spine.

"That's dangerous, Seth," I whispered, sliding my shoe off. I ran my foot up the inside of his leg and licked my lips.

"Check please," Seth caught the waitress's attention and I kept running my foot up his calf.

I slid my shoe back on as Seth threw down two hundred dollars bill. He helped me up from my seat, leaning over to kiss my neck and suck lightly, nipping at the skin. He practically picked me up and put me in the car, racing to La Push.

"I love you," I said, leaning over to slide my hand up Seth's thigh.

"I love you too," he groaned as I slid up and stopped at the top of his thigh.

"How much further?" I asked, inhaling and trying to keep myself calm enough. Where did this urge come from? This morning I was scared to death at the thought of sex, but now, well, that was gone. All I wanted now was my husband, naked, in our bed, for the rest of the night.

"Just a few minutes," he kissed me while keeping his eyes on the road. I kept my seatbelt on but stayed leaned over with my lips on some part of Seth's skin. The La Push sign whipped past us and Seth slowed, pulling into our driveway.

He opened the garage door, pulling the car in, and stopping it. Before I could open the door, Seth lifted me up bridal style and carried me up the stairs, the garage door closing behind us. "Seth!" I squealed.

"What? This is the quickest way to get you upstairs, and since we didn't get to do this properly on our wedding night, I'm making up for lost time," Seth kissed me harder, each of my shoes slipping off my feet on the stairs to the bedroom. He opened the door and carried me in, not letting me go. "I love you so damn much," he whispered, putting me down softly and then grabbing the hem of my dress, lifting it up and over my head to reveal my new lingerie, purchased for just this occasion.

"I love you too," I said, putting my arms back around his neck and feeling him lift me again.

Seth's kisses were intense and heavy. "Seven months is too long, Bee," he said, inching his fingers down the simple pink and black polkadotted camisole and panties I was wearing. "Are you gonna be okay with this?"

The thought had crossed my mind. Before I had been used to his, um, size, but it really had been too long since we'd last done this and I worried I wouldn't be ready. But, of course, I reminded myself. Things were a little looser in that area, after having given birth. "I will be," I kissed my husband's lips sweetly. "Slow and steady wins the race." I couldn't but smile when I said it, remembering how sexy he was reading to Ashley and Liam.

"I love you," he said into my lips as he grabbed my leg at the knee and hitched it up, pushing me against the door and pressing flush against the part of me that ached for him the most.

"Ugh, I love you too," I said back while his other hand grabbed my other knee and pushed it up. I wrapped my arms tighter around Seth's neck and kissed him harder with a moan.

"Just relax, I'm not gonna drop you," Seth said. "First I need to take this off." He reached for the hem of my camisole, pulling it up and over in one movement. I closed my eyes and felt Seth's lips reach down to my right breast where he laid sweet, gentle kisses. "You're so amazing," his sweet voice said against my skin.

I intertwined my fingers in his hair and pulled his head up to kiss my lips. "Don't let go of me," I whispered after I pulled away from the kiss.

"Never," he smirked and his eyes filled with fire. I had just awakened the wolf, I knew it. It may have been there before but my reassurance of wanting him forever, stirred up a part of something inside that was feral and wild and, well, very sexy. He leaned back in to kiss me again, this time with more fervor and urgency and more tongue.

"You need less clothes," I smiled running my hands up his chest and then back down stopping at his belt buckle.

"Sounds good to me," Seth grinned. "Have at it." I was happy to oblige, letting my fingers work quickly to unbuckle and unbutton and unzip until the suit pants rested at his ankle and he was clad only in a wife beater in boxers. He kicked his pants to the side and dove in to kiss me, moving us to the bed. He laid me down like I was fragile and might break, bringing his body on top of me and sitting up on his knees.

I bit my bottom lip while his eyes raked over my body. He poked his finger at my bare chest, just where my heart lay, and ran it down my stomach, stopping at the elastic of my panties. "It's okay," I said, reaching up to him.

Seth nodded and let his finger fall under the elastic. "God, your body drives me insane," he smirked as he slowly inched the polka-dotted lace down passed my ankles and then off.

"Come here," I smiled, grabbing at his waist and pulling him down to me. I could practically feel my mouth salivate with the anticipation of kissing him again. My eager husband was all too happy to comply and I held his body to mine, while Seth's tongue met my bottom lip and I let my tongue meet his again. The electric sparks flickered inside me and I pulled my legs up to rest on his hips. As much I wanted this, as much I knew it was going to be okay, my body started to shake with nervousness. All that confidence before, when he had me up against the door, ready to ravish me, had all disappeared. I wasn't sure if my body would remember how to do this. I'd only ever been with Seth, he knew me better than anyone else, but my mind was full of so many what ifs all of the sudden. What if things didn't exactly fit like they did before? What if it I wasn't what I'd been before? What if my body wasn't what he remembered? _Dammit…_

"We can stop," Seth kissed me just below my ear and then down my jawline. "We can wait."

I shook my head and he stopped kissing me to pull back. "I w-want to," I stuttered. I did want to, very much but I couldn't calm down. That is, until Seth looked directly in my eyes.

"I can wait for you, Abigail," his eyes were bright, loving, and patient and I felt that pull that was always there, the pull that connected our hearts to one another. "There's no rush. Just because we can do it, doesn't mean we have to. If you don't want to." I could sense disappointment in his voice. How could I tell him that it didn't have anything to do with me not wanting to be with him like that and everything to do with the fear that I wasn't going to be what I used to be?

"No, Seth, I want to," I held his face in my hands so I wouldn't lose eye contact. "I want to so much, I'm just…" I took a deep breath and pulled him closer. "I need you to remind me how to do this." That must have been all it took for the inner-wolf to break through.

Seth put his hands on either side of my head to grip the pillow beneath me. "With pleasure, babe," he groaned and settled himself at my core before slowly pushing into me. "Grrr…" Seth growled.

"Mmmm," I breathed and curled my toes. It didn't hurt, not like I'd expected, it made me feel complete and whole.

"You okay?" Seth pecked my lips. He was using every single bit of his control, I could tell by his gritted teeth.

"More than okay," I moaned.

"Can I move?"

"Ugh…" I let out with a nod just as Seth pulled back and pushed back in. "Oh…" I yelped, Seth moving his lips from mine to the base of my neck and started to suck on the skin. He moved out then in again, this time with groaning and gripping the pillow harder. "Don't stop," I moaned.

"No…nev-ver," he moaned against my neck, sucking harder on the skin and causing the tension in my abdomen to increase.

"Seth," I gripped his back harder and arched mine. There was no way for our contact to get any closer, but I kept pulling on him like there were. "I love you…so…oh…"

"God, I love you," he grunted and pushed harder this time before using his arms to push my legs farther apart. "Shit!" Seth pushed into me further than before and I gasp.

"You…oh, I love you," I felt my breath catching in my chest and the tingling in my stomach increase. "Not much more," I groaned into his mouth before he leaned down to my neck and started sucking again. One hard suck and a bite and I let go. "Oh, Seth! Oooohhhh!" I felt my body release and clench down with Seth still attached to my neck.

"Grrr…"He growled and grabbed the headboard, his breathing increasing when I felt a gush of warmth inside me. "Shit, Abby," he said against my skin. His body shuddered and I held onto him tighter. We both took deep breaths, trying to ontrol ourselves.

"You okay?" I asked, feeling him slump a little.

He took a deep breath and finally released my neck from his mouth. "That was quite possibly the most amazing thing I've ever experienced," his warm breath tickling my ear.

I giggled at him. "I aim to please," my cockiness surprising even me.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"Thank you," I said back. Seth didn't release me or slip out of me, keeping as close to me as possible. Making love to Seth always took everything out of me and I yawned. "You exhausted me."

Seth let out a husky chuckled and pulled completely back to kiss my lips. "Let's get some rest," he said, rolling over and then pulling me to his side. "Love you, Abigail."

"Love you too," I whispered. I closed my eyes and felt my body relax, drifting into sleep. The next morning I woke up to the most amazing smell and my stomach instantly growled. My eyes fluttered open to my gorgeous husband, a huge smile on his face with a tray of French toast and cinnamon apples. "That looks delicious," I yawned, sitting up in bed.

"Just for you, my dear," Seth said, putting the tray on my lap and handing me a glass of orange juice. I could smell his coffee and a sense of jealousy ran through me.

"I miss coffee," I groaned. Seth grabbed a fork and sat across from me, digging into my plate with me. "I don't mean that. I love our little boy too much," I smiled.

"And I thank you for everything you do for him," he leaned across with syrup on his lips and place a soft, tender kiss on my lips.

"Thank you for last night. I don't think I realized I needed just a night to us," I said.

"And here I thought it was the sex that made the difference," Seth chuckled.

"That too," I giggled. I pulled the comforter up more and ate breakfast with my husband before I started to miss something, or a few someones.

"Are you thinking about Ash and Liam?" Seth asked, as I took the last bite of an apple. I nodded, feeling guilty that I should've been enjoying the time with him. I loved being with him but our life had been our family and as much as I could go for second round of lovemaking, I knew that I wanted to have my family together. I don't know, it was weird. I felt like things were back together now, that it was all right. "Do you want to go get them?"

"Would you hate me forever?" I asked, biting my lip.

He chuckled. "No, but we should probably shower first. Unless you want to hear from Jake or any of the other wolves because, Baby, you wreak of sex and me."

I giggled and before I could say anything, Seth swooped me up into his arms and carried me to the shower, me totally playing the role of the giggly schoolgirl, and finding the strength to go for a quick round two. I wanted Seth to know that it wasn't anything about him that made me want to shorten our alone time, but actually the opposite. I don't know if it was the imprint that kept us so connected or if it was just genuine love, but sometimes, there was no explanation needed.

Seth called Jake to let him know we were coming to get the kiddos and I smiled the whole drive there, finally, after years of feeling empty, I finally felt complete, whole. As Seth turned off the car, I stopped him from getting out. "Everything okay?" he asked.

I nodded, then crawled across the car to straddle him. "Thank you, for loving me so much," I kissed him softly, putting my arms around his neck. "For understanding me," I kissed him again. "And for knowing how much our family means to me," I gave him one final kiss.

"Thank you," he pulled me closer. "For all those things." I leaned in, just to hug him, when the driver's side door opened, Jake, Quil, and Lil' G standing outside laughing as they caught me straddling Seth.

"What? You couldn't get enough last night?" Quil joked and I blushed, putting my face in Seth's neck.

"Leave them alone," Jake chuckled and offered me his hand to help me out of the car. I took it and put my feet softly on the ground. "Though your neck looks like you've been hanging out with the Cullens."

My brow furrowed and I immediately moved to look in the mirror. "Seth! Why do you always do that?" I jabbed at Seth's shoulder. My neck was marked with a huge bite and the world's largest hicky.

"I'm sorry! Geez, it's like the wolf in me," Seth defended himself and put his hands in the air.

I sighed and walked off towards the house, immediately hearing Ashley talking to Griffin. "And then the wolf, who turned out not to be so bad, helped all of the little pigs build all of their houses because that's what good wolves do," Ashley said and I couldn't help but laugh. Only my little sister could inadvertently change the words to a fairytale to make it more wolf friendly, having no idea that all the men around her were wolves. "Abby!" Ashley squealed, catching sight of me.

"Ash!" I laughed, holding my arms out as she ran towards me and I lifted her up.

"I missed you! I helped Nessie with Liam and Griffin and I had so much fun but I missed you and I missed my big brother!" She hugged me tightly as Ness came from the kitchen with Liam in her arms. She smiled brightly, bringing Liam to me as I put Ashley down.

"I hope they weren't too much trouble," I said, taking Liam and cuddling him to my chest.

"Not at all, Ashley was a big help and she made sure Griffin and Liam played together, for as much as they could," Ness hugged me and I hugged her back with more force than I knew possible.

"My girls and boy ready to go home?" Seth asked coming up behind me.

I nodded. _Home_, finally home.

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**Thank you for reading! Please review!**


	22. Goodbye or Life is Good

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the wolves or vampires that might appear in this story. They either belong to Stephenie Meyer or to the lovely Ninadoll! The O'Brien sisters and Liam are really the only thing I might lay claim to. **

**I cannot say it enough but big, big thank you to Ms. Ninadoll! If you haven't yet, check out her stories, **_**Rest of Forever, How Wonderful Life Is Now You're in the World, **_**and **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**. You will love them! I guarantee it! I am very lucky to be a part of her universe and to have her as my friend! She is very patient with me and encourages me even when I feel like I should give up! Thank you so much, Nina!**

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow! She made an awesome banner for this story and you can see it on my webpage! It rocks and so does she!**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out ****my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of Ava and Scar's condo, as well as Leah and Alex's house.**

**After this, I'll be working on **_**A Love That Defies All Logic**_**, then back to Seth and Abby for a big surprise! Thank you all for continuing to read! Every review makes me smile!**

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**CHAPTER 21: GOODBYE…OR LIFE IS GOOD**

**ABBY'S POV**

I kept my head turned away from Seth, looking at the scenery whizzing past us while Ashley sang to Liam in the backseat. I couldn't let them see how upset I was, how much my heart was breaking. Today was the day, today was the day that Ava was a grown up. Sure she had had her driver's license and graduated high school, but today was the actual day I was going to lose her. For the past three years, since my parents passed away, I took care of Ava and Ashley, their lives were my life. Then add in Liam and Seth and I was a very busy woman. Very busy but very content. And today that was all going to change as Ava grew up and moved away from me.

"Don't cry, Bee. It's gonna be okay," Seth whispered and squeezed my hand. "You've done a great job with her and you should be proud of yourself."

"But I'm losing her," I said soft enough that I knew he heard but Ashley didn't. I wiped away the tears from my cheek and held back a sob. I had been dreading this day for far too long. Since before Seth bought them the condo in Seattle, since before she decided that she wanted to go to culinary school three hours away from me, since she became a woman and not the teenage girl that I remember from when we first moved to Forks.

My parents never had this day with me. I lived at home while going to college so there was no sad goodbye or dropping off. I just woke up and left the house in the morning to drive to Norman, then to Stillwater. Nothing changed until that ultimate goodbye that never happened, the time they left us forever with out a goodbye. To be honest and at the risk of making myself sound like a lunatic, I had been preparing for this. I'd read articles on the Internet about sending your child to college and dealing with the "emptiness" that accompanied that. And sure, Ava wasn't my child, per se, but there weren't a lot of articles or self-help books about dropping your little sister off at college.

My only solace was, knowing that Scar would be there with her. If anyone protected her more than Seth and me, it was Scar. Those two played like there was nothing going on besides friendship, but I was almost positive, if there wasn't anything now, one day there would be. I trusted him and knew he'd keep her out of trouble. I wasn't so sure about Claire though.

"I'm gonna pull off at the Starbucks up here, okay?" Seth rubbed his thumb on the back of my hand and picked up his cell phone calling Ava, Quil and the Munhollands to let them know we were stopping. Scar was following on his bike but we had a rule that there would be no talking on the phone while on the bike.

"Man, this blows! I'm riding in the damn car by myself, surrounded by lots of pink shit and what I want is my Claire-bear next to me," Quil said, opening my car door as we made our stop at Starbucks.

"What can I say, Quil? Claire's parents wanted the last few hours of her childhood spent with them and not you. Can you blame them? Especially considering that I know for a fact, that weekend you and Claire came down to 'take another look at the place,' you christened every damn room in the house," Seth groaned. It was actually quite funny to watch Seth and Quil. Quil was older than him, yet it was often Seth that had to be the adult and keep a level head. "Babe, do you want anything?"

"A caramel frappuccino, please," I told him, grabbing his hand to pull him to me. "Thank you," I said before placing my lips on his.

"Oooh! Can I have a strawberry one?" Ashley asked from the backseat.

"Sure, you wanna come in with me?" Seth asked, holding her door open while she jumped out.

"Will you get an apple juice for Liam?" I asked.

"Not a problem," Seth leaned back into the car to kiss me, then jogged into the coffee shop with Quil behind him. I turned around in the seat to check on Liam. He was in his seat, gumming at his toy keys and making a noise that sounded like the sound a short-A makes. He was 11-months old and not completely talking, but much to his little Aunt's joy, his first word was "ash," followed by the "woof," though Seth contends he meant wolf. Leave it to my son to forget the simple "Mama" and "Dada" and go straight for the big words.

"Hello, Little Pumpkin," Ava said, opening the backdoor and sliding in next to Liam. "Are you having fun on your ride? Huh? You gonna get to go see Auntie Leah, aren't you?" I watched for a minute but had to look away when I felt the tears coming back. Ava had been such an important part of Liam's life and I wasn't sure how he would adjust to her not being there. As much as Ashley like to be the one to read to him, and sing to him, and hold him, Ava was always helpful with the major things like feedings and diaper changes. His face would light up at her voice and I wondered if he would remember her the next time he saw her over Labor Day, two weeks away. "Abbs, you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," I lied. I couldn't let her see how upset I was, I couldn't make it anymore difficult than it already was.

"Okay, I just thought I heard you sniffle and I wanted to make sure you were alright," Ava patted my shoulder over the seat and I closed my eyes hard. Scar walked out of the Starbucks and turned to look at me with a half-grin. I might be able to hide it from Ava but I couldn't hide it from Scar. He knew what I was going through, and not just because he'd seen it in Seth's mind, the past two weeks of tears that could usually only be cured by making love to my husband, needing to feel him close to me. He knew because he had said a hard goodbye that day too. It was the first time since their graduation that I had been to Scar's house and I watched as he and his father shared a handshake and tears before Scar mounted his bike to head off into his future. Ness and I promised that we'd check on him every other day or so, making sure that he had food and doing any laundry he might need. He wanted to object but I explained that he was responsible for Ava so the least I could do was check on his father.

"Madame," Seth faked a French accent as he opened the driver's side door. "I zu believe ju ordered a frapuccino." I couldn't help but smile at him. Ashley giggled and even Ava laughed. "And an a-pple uice for de wee ba-by." I took the drinks from him, putting mine in the cupholder.

"Merci," I replied with a giggle.

He got in the car while I put Liam's apple juice in his sippy cup and then diluted it with my bottle water. I turned around and he grabbed it from my hands before squealing and then sucking on it. "Someone was thirsty!" Ashley said, tickling his belly.

We continued the caravan, stopping one more time for a bathroom break and diaper change. I had moved Seth's hand from being intertwined with mine to massaging my upper thigh to give me some sort of relaxation. I closed my eyes again and listened to Ash's movie in the backseat.

"I don't understand why the wolves in _Beauty and the Beast_ are so mean. I've seen lots of wolves and they're not mean like this," Ashley broke me out of my stupor and I glanced in the mirror to see her face scrunched up in thought.

"Some people just don't seem to get wolves like you do, Ash," Seth chuckled. "You know who would love to talk to you about this? Aunt Leah. She knows lots about wolves."

She huffed. "I should write a letter to Disney. Ooh look! It's the giant pointy thing!"

I looked out at the Space Needle. "Yep," I sighed, pulling my knees up to my chest. Each mile closer to Seattle was another mile closer to saying goodbye to my sister, to letting her go.

Seth ran his hand up my arm and rested it on my elbow. "It's okay," he held it while I closed my eyes hard again. It seemed like the drive went faster than normal and before I knew it, we were pulling up to Leah and Alex's house. He pulled the Rover into the driveway, the caravan of cars behind us.

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Ashley bounced in her seat and snapped her belt off, bolting out of the car as soon as Seth turned the ignition off.

"Someone's excited," he said with a smile in his voice before turning to me and tilting my chin up to run his nose up my jaw and then rubbing it softly on my nose. "You're a great big sister, you know that?"

"Thanks," I said half-heartedly.

He placed another gentle kiss on my lips before getting out of the car and then helping me out. I grabbed Liam's diaper bag and handed it to Seth. Liam had somehow managed to sleep through Ashley's Leah tantrum and was snoozing contently in his seat. He was growing and was heavier but he was still my baby. And I picked him up, seat and all and carried him to the front door where Leah stood with Ashley in her arms, wrapped in a hug.

"Hey guys," Leah said and released Ashley to take Liam's seat from me.

"Hey," I smiled. "He's asleep." I handed Liam to his aunt.

"Come on in," she motioned for everyone to follow and she carried Liam into the den and sat his seat on the table, then pushed the handle back to look at him. "Poor kid looks so much like you, Seth. Especially when he sleeps and he makes those noises like that. Sounds like a kitten."

I laughed looking down at Liam. He always did make soft whimpering, meowing sounds when he slept, I'd just never realized how much like Seth it was. "Sorry to interrupt, but we do have a schedule to adhere to," Claire said, tapping a pen on a clipboard. "Love you, Auntie Lee," she made a kissy action towards Leah.

"God, I remember when that kid was normal. I blame it on hanging out with Quil too much for, oh, say her whole life," Leah shook her head and I leaned down to give Liam a final kiss before Leah assured me everything was going to be fine and Ashley hugged me to remind me I'd see them in only a few hours. Somehow though, knowing I was dropping Ava off, made leaving Ashley that much harder and I couldn't stop hugging her.

"You gotta go, Abbs," Ash whispered in my ear. I pulled away and looked at her, her face full of so many emotions and almost like she knew exactly what I was thinking. When I released her, she ran to Ava and jumped in her arms. "I'll miss you!"

"I'll miss you too, Ash. You take care of Liam for me, okay?" Ava said, holding Ashley close to her chest.

"I will," Ashley answered and I knew I was going to lose it. Luckily for me, my wolf's arms wrapped around me from behind and I turned in them to bury my head in his chest. He knew I needed him in that moment. I don't know how, but he did and he held me, rubbing my back as I kept in all the tears and sobs. At least until we were alone.

Eventually we left Leah's and headed to the condo, far too quickly for me. Ava jumped out of her Bug practically giddy to be moving on and I couldn't help but feel a little hurt by that. I had to keep the tough exterior though, and I succeeded, helping Ava set up the final touches in her orange, red, and white bedroom.

My husband had done an amazing job picking out the condo that Ava and Scar and Claire would be sharing. It was fairly modern, located in a nice part of the city. It also had the things I was paranoid about like a security system and full time security guards that patrolled 24-hours a day. It was a great place and most of the furniture had already been in place, with only minor details left to finish.

Ava's room was what would be considered the master bedroom but it wasn't entirely all that much bigger than the others. I was happy that Scar was going to be just down the hall. I think, in the back of my mind, I hoped this would be motivation for the two of them to get over their qualms and tell each other how they felt. Neither had confirmed it with me, yet I just knew. To add to that, there was no one else in the world I would ever want with my little sister than Scar.

"Can you help me hang this poster?" Ava asked with excitement in her voice. I nodded, wondering how long I had been sitting on her bed, doing nothing but thinking. Seth was down the hall with Scar and it was just Ava and me, and she stood on her bed with a poster in her hands. "It's your favorite poster, Abbs." She turned it to me. It was my favorite poster, "Keep Calm and Carry On," in orange to match her room. "I got it cuz I wanted to have a part of you here with me, so everyday when I see it, I'll remember all the hard work and sacrifices you made so I can be where I am." The tears that had been held back around her before, gushed out and I sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Ave," I apologized, covering my face.

She leaned the poster on the wall and then rushed towards me. "No, Abbs, you don't have to be sorry."

"You want to go so bad and I don't know how to let you go," I cried into her shoulder.

"Abby," she pulled back to look at me. "I'm scared shitless. But honestly, the only thing that's keeping me confident, is knowing that I had parents and a big sister that gave me everything I need to make it. I do want to go because I want to make you proud."

"You do, Ava, so proud," I cried, amazed at how grown up she had become and how very proud I was of her. "You are going to be someone amazing, and I know you'll be okay, but I feel like I'm losing you…"

"I know, Abbs. But I promise, you aren't. I will visit as often as I can and I'll call everyday," Ava hugged me tighter. I felt bad that she was having to console me, she was the one moving away, but I was going to miss her so much.

"You promise, everyday," I almost begged.

Ava chuckled. "Everyday." She pulled me to look at her again. "Most of what I am, of what I've become, I have you to thank for and I'm so happy to call you my sister and my second mother."

"You make me proud to be your sister," I hugged her again, feeling the tears drying up. "I'll be looking forward to those phone calls."

We both giggled, and though my breath was little ragged, I was okay. Ava would be okay and though I knew I wouldn't be totally okay, I could take pride in knowing how far she'd come and how amazing she would be.

I helped her put the poster up, then made sure the fridge was stocked before knowing it was time to go. I hugged Scar and Claire, Quil deciding to "sleep on the couch" that night and come home the next day. Then it was time to say goodbye.

"I'll call you first thing in the morning, okay?" Ava hugged me.

"Okay. Anytime, Ava, call me anytime, okay?" I released her and immediately found Seth's arms around me.

"I love you, Abbs," she said.

"I love you too, Ave," I said back.

"Take care of my sister, Dr. Seth," Ava smiled at Seth.

"You know I will, Ava," Seth smiled back at her. "And call us and call Leah. She's not far and she can be here in a minute."

"I will, thanks," she smiled at me again. I knew it was now or never.

"Okay, we should go. I'm sure Liam's probably hungry," I said, holding on tightly to Seth. "Bye, Ave."

"Bye, Abbs," she said back. I gave her one last smile and then we turned to leave. We made it almost to the car when Ava's voice rang out. "Wait!" She yelled, running to catch up to us, and then threw her arms around me. "Thank you, Abbs. I'll miss you."

I took a deep breath to fight the tears again. "I'll miss you too, but I know you're going to do so great and I'm so proud of you."

This time when we ended our hug, we made it to the car and to Leah's house. Then when we got back to La Push, I ate dinner with my family and put Ashley into bed, then held on to Liam as I crawled into bed. I already missed Ava but I knew she was ready and I knew she would be fabulous.

**SETH'S POV**

I don't mean to brag, but life at Casa de Clearwater was good. No, not just good, great, spectacular, everything I had always wanted. I had an extremely beautiful/sexy/intelligent imprint, a son that made me smile more everyday, and a little sister who kept me on my toes and I swear had a new theory on her friends, the wolves, everyday. Hell, even now, as I lay in bed, doing absolutely nothing but listening to the slow steady breathing of my wife, I think I'm the most content person on earth. Life was good.

I knew I had a few minutes before Abby would wake up and I would start getting ready for work. Then we'd have breakfast and I run off to work. Abby would finish getting the kids ready, then head to work, dropping Ashley off at school, and then Liam off at Mom and Charlie's on the way. We had a very thorough routine. While Abby took care of the morning stuff, it was my job to pick the kids up in the afternoon.

It made days go by quickly and before I knew it I was looking at my watch and getting ready to check out for the day. Abby and mine's office were still next to each other. After I finished my work, I always went next door.

"She's in the back in the examine room," Nancy smiled at me as I looked at the Great Dane and the Pomeranian in the waiting room. Sadie ran up to greet me and nudged me with her nose.

"Good girl," I said, patting her head. Even Sadie and I were getting along more than we ever had before.

I could hear Abby's voice before I reached the room and she was in full business-mode, something I always thought was very, very sexy. "Make sure you keep the cone around his neck, Mr. Cavanaugh. I don't want him trying to chew on his wing. We want to keep it wrapped tightly," I love that voice. I slowly opened the door to see a very large man, dressed in denim, from head to toe, with a huge green parrot on his shoulder. "Right, Sweet Pea?" Abby said to the parrot, catching my eye and smiling.

I pointed towards her office and she nodded, finishing up her business with the lumberjack and his feathery friend. I sat at her desk for less than five minutes when Abby bounded in, shutting the door behind her, clicking the lock and giving me her sexy grin.

"Someone's feeling frisky," I joked with a chuckle while she sauntered over to me.

"I just missed you," she smiled guiltily. It was honestly the first time since we'd dropped Ava off that I'd seen her smile at all. I pulled her onto my lap.

"I always miss you when you're not with me," I whispered, nuzzling her neck. "I'm headed to get the kiddos."

"Give them kisses for me."

"Maybe you should give me one so I remember," I pulled her chin down to me and kissed her lips softly before something popped into my head and pulled away. "Did that man really have a pet parrot and did you really put a cone around its neck?" Abby laughed and nodded her head. "And I thought I saw some crazy things."

"All in a days work," she smiled. "I'll see you at home." I got one last kiss before saying goodbye. I picked up Liam from Mom and Charlie's, then Ashley at school. I helped Ashley get started on her homework just in time for Abby to get home and start dinner.

Before I even realized it, the day had passed so quickly. I couldn't help but smile as I looked to my left to see Abby cutting up chicken into tiny cubes for Liam who sat in his high chair between us. Then looked to my right to see Ashley, going over her day at school.

"And then, Amy said, 'If you vote for me, I'll make sure we have fifteen more minutes of recess everyday!' And Mr. Goodwell said she had no control over that and then Sydney won! Can you believe it? My best friend is going to be our class president!" Ash squealed in her seat.

"Aren't you a little young to have class officers?" Abby asked, spooning green beans out of a dish for Liam.

"Nope, I'm eight, Abbs," Ashley said dramatically.

Abby let out a small laugh. "I forgot about the amendment that changed the voting age to ten."

"I don't even know what that means," Ashley shrugged.

This was the kind of thing that made life so amazing. It wasn't anything special, just dinner at Casa de Clearwater. My wife, my son, my little sister…it was perfect. I glanced down at my watch to make sure I was doing okay on time and then looked over at my son.

"Dadadada," he squealed at me and put his arms out for me to hold him. Lately, my little boy had been sick with the flu and it was times like this that Abby and I truly showed how the imprint meant working together. I knew when she was exhausted and she knew when I needed a break, so we alternated on who had to get up in the night. We worked like a team, a well-oiled machine and even if it meant he might end up in our bed for a little bit, our son was being taken care of.

Abby hadn't said anything lately but I knew she was also very worried. It had been almost two months since Ava and Scar moved to Seattle and even though I knew Abby talked to Ava everyday, she was like a mother hen without her chicks. And though I wasn't exactly happy that my son was sick, it was something that kept her mind off the fact her little sister was in a huge city, doing her own thing, and living her own life.

"Are we going to take Mr. Monroe dinner?" Ashley asked, watching me as I patted Liam's back and held him in my arms.

"I'm going to while you stay here and finish your homework," Abby said with a smile.

"Aw, man. I love going over there," Ashley pushed a pea around on her plate.

"Only because he gives you candy," I chuckled.

Ashley sighed loudly. "And because I miss Scar," she said softly and I could see Abby frown and look away.

I patted Ashley's back. In all honesty, Ava and Scar's move had been hard on all of us. It was hard to see my Abby and Ashley so upset. And I have to admit that I kinda missed Ava threatening to kick my ass every now and then. Things were just different, like a spark was missing.

"When do we get to see them again?" Ashley asked.

"At Thanksgiving and then at Aunt Leah's wedding," Abby answered wiping off Liam's face. "Seth, can you get him bathed really quick while I run dinner over to Frank? I'll be right back."

Abby had taken over the responsibility of making sure Scar's dad was being fed and cared for. She took her job very seriously too, trying to make sure there was no liquor in the house, yet Frank Monroe always ended up drunk somehow. She knew he'd find a way but she continued to hide it and lock it up and pour it down the sink all the same.

I nodded to her and watched her pack up a plate and wrap it up. I gave her a kiss just before she walked out the door then picked up Liam. "Ready for a bath?" I asked, earning a bubbly response from his mouth.

"That's a yes. I've been teaching him how to talk," Ashley put her fork down.

"Thank you for helping him," I smiled at her.

"Gives me something to do. This place is boring and I haven't seen any new wolves in ages," she seemed so disappointed and I wanted to tell her no new wolves was actually a good thing. But that was a story for another time.

"You wanna help me give him a bath? You can pick out his pjs," I told her.

"Yes!" she squealed and ran up the stairs.

I looked at Liam and chuckled. "Your little aunt is silly but she loves you." I gave him a kiss on the forehead and followed Ashley up the stairs to give my son a bath. It wasn't long after I had taken him out of the tub that Abby came back. I finished getting Liam ready for bed while she got Ashley settled for the night after a long talk on why Ashley wanted to take showers in the morning like grown-ups and Abby telling her no.

I listened to Abby tell Ashley a bedtime story while I got ready to patrol. I always waited until Abby was finished with the nightly routine before heading out. I listened carefully from the bedroom as she kissed Ashley's forehead.

"Say your prayers and Sleep tight," Abby whispered. "Love you."

"For always," Ashley responded back.

"Yep, for always."

I smiled at that and then moved to wait in the hallway for Abby to finish. "Follow me out," I said, taking her hand. I pulled her closer to me and felt her arms snake around my waist.

"You'll be safe?" she asked just as we reached the front door and I pulled her onto the porch with me.

"Of course," I pulled my t-shirt off and Abby took it from me, folding it while I slid my sports shorts off and turned to face her.

"You should probably go before your naked body forces me to jump you," Abby said very seriously.

I chuckled. She usually didn't watch me phase but she almost always waited for me to run off to patrol before she went in. Today though, for some reason, she was staring very intently and I started to feel a little like a caged animal before the burning took over and the ripple went through my body and my paws slammed into the dirt.

I turned back to look at a smiling Abby as she walked towards me and then stood a little on her toes. "I love you, my wolf," she scratched behind my ears and I started to feel like Sadie when you scratch her belly, wanting to roll over and never have her stop. "Do your duty and then come home," she nuzzled my nose and placed a soft kiss on the end of it. Giggling before letting me go.

As she turned to walk away, I couldn't help myself and I swished my tail just enough to smack her rear end and earn a yelp from my wife.

"Keep it in your pants until you're human," she giggled.

I couldn't help but laugh, even as a wolf.

_Oh shut it, Dr. Sunshine_, Embry groaned. He had been less than his stellar self lately, though no one seemed to know why. We weren't asking either because knowing his douchebag attitude, there was no telling which part of you he might try to bite off. _You do know I can hear you, right?_

_I know, I just don't care,_ I took off into a run around the cliff area.

_Yeah, well, not everyone can have sunshine and rainbows like you_, Embry scoffed.

_It's all about perspective, Em. You know that. We've talked about it before_, I said and started to continue on with my theory before I was interrupted by some disturbing dialogue in my head.

_I can feel your kisses_, I heard a very feminine voice in my head. _But I'm pushing your hand further down…Kiss me there, Quil._

_Oh, fuck, this is even worse! _Embry groaned as the realization of Quil and Claire's latest phone sex escapade.

_That's practically my niece, Quil!_ I barked.

_No one's making you watch_, Quil smirked, even as a wolf.

_I've really gotta talk to Jake about who he schedules me to patrol with_, Embry groaned and then took off in a different direction. I knew Embry meant it in a loving way. _No, I don't._

This is how most of the night went. Things had been relatively calm lately since the last crazy battle. I wasn't complaining because it was more important to me that my family be safe than to fight some vamps.

After I had made my rounds and I felt a few younger pups phase in for their duty, I phased back and headed home to find my shorts folded for me on the front porch. I slid the shorts on, just in case Ashley was up and unlocked the door with the hidden key and gently closed it behind me. It was relatively quiet in the house and I tiptoed to our bedroom. Abby was breathing gently and I knew she was probably asleep. I slid my shorts off and climbed into bed next to my sleeping wife. I pulled her into me and kissed her neck.

"Hi, Sandy," Abby said softly, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Well, I'm human now," I chuckled and felt her tiny hands run down my chest.

"You sure?" she pushed further into me and hitched her leg to rest on my hip. "You smell so good. Like the woods," her lips rested on mine.

"I take it you missed me," I whispered and moved my lips down her neck again. "Has Liam woken up?"

"No," she exhaled with a moan as I sucked on the skin almost to her collarbone then pushed up her makeshift cotton night gown that I recognized.

"My t-shirt," I broke away.

"It smells like you," she said softly and I could see the soft moonlight coming through our bedroom window and beaming onto her blushing face. "And I missed you, so much." Abby placed her small cold hand on my cheek. "How is it I fall in love with you a little more everyday?" Her voice was just barely a whisper and even though the room was dark, I could see her. I knew she was examining me closely. "I get so scared when you patrol."

"Why?" I asked, my tone matching her gentleness. "You don't have to worry, Bee. We're good at what we do, and lately the threat has been really low."

"It doesn't matter. I will always worry. I know what life was like without you and it wasn't good," Abby gripped my hair and pulled me to kiss her. It was sweet and soft and though it deepened and was more passionate, it wasn't rushed and it wasn't hard. I let my hands finish what they started and pushed the t-shirt all the way off, lifting it over her head and tossing it behind me. She took my lead and her fingers danced a pattern down my bare chest and then grabbed my equally bare backside to push me closer to her core.

"I love you," I panted out. "And I always will…until the last breath I take." I pushed her panties down and felt her kick them off.

"Good, because I'll love you for always," Abby said just before hiking her knee up again and putting me in the perfect position, lined up and ready to go. "Thank you, for always loving me," she pushed on my ass again and pushing me slowly into her. "Oooh…" I felt her breathing catch when I entered her.

"Always," I rolled to be on top of her and watched as her eyes closed. I felt her fingers dance up my back and her breathing change as I kissed her neck.

Abby's eyes flew up as I started to thrust but kept my mouth on her neck. "Do…not…bite…me…Seth," she groaned out and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"No. Promises," I grunted.

Abby increased her grip on me and I knew she was close. "Hot," she moaned while I looked down at the sweat beading up on her forehead and made the executive decision that I should probably roll us before my wife passed out.

I rolled on my back and felt her grip loosen on me. Her eyes were closed and she did the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. She arched her back and put one of her hands behind her while running the other up her stomach to grab at her breast and knead it.

"Fuck, that's sexy," I moaned out just as I felt the cable in my stomach snap and I let out a loud grunt as I emptied into Abby. She leaned forward and circled her hips before closing her eyes tighter.

"Oooohhhh," she let out and then bucked forward to place her hands on either side of my head. "How do you do that? Make me feel so good so complete."

We were both panting as she looked into my eyes from above me. She was beautiful, caring, loving, and she was mine.

"Dada! Mama!" I heard over the baby monitor, breaking us out of our lust filled concentration.

Abby sighed hard. "I'll get him," I told her, picking up my shorts from the floor and slipping them on.

"Thanks," she said, searching for my t-shirt.

I walked down the hallway to Liam's room. The soft light from the night light softly illuminated his room. He was cooing to himself but I knew the moment I walked in why he'd woken up, the stench coming from his crib was unholy.

"Oh, man, Liam," I pinched my nose and could swear I heard him giggle in his crib. "I bet you've been saving that all day for your old man." I leaned down in the crib and picked him up just as he put his arms around my neck.

"Dada," Liam said. It wasn't the first time I'd heard him say it, but every time I did, my heart would swell a little more. I knew he and his mother and his aunts were my life, but I could almost feel his love for me as his father when he said it. Especially when he hugged me like he was now. I'm not ashamed to admit it. My son was a hugger and I loved it. He would hug me and Abby and his aunts and his grandmother.

I felt Liam hug around my neck get tighter as I went to lay him on the changing table. "I love you too, little guy, but I thought we had an agreement. You'd do that before I got home from patrol," I whispered.

"I heard that," Abby's voice was low but loud enough for me to hear.

I chuckled and then set to task, changing my son's disgusting diaper. "Dear Lord," I gagged. Normally, I must brag, I was a champion diaper changer; I could beat Paul and Jared any day. But this was like an atomic bomb went off in his pants.

After the diaper was changed and disposed of, I kept Liam in my arms while I washed my hands. He was attached to my neck and as much as I knew it was bad and I should put him back in his crib, I carried him to our bedroom. Abby was sitting up, looking over something and smiled when we came in. "There's my two favorite guys," she said and Liam almost launched himself at her. "Did you have a surprise for Daddy?"

"Haha, very funny," I said, unamused when I crawled back into bed. I sniffed the air again and looked out the open window. "Smells like rain again."

"Again," Abby groaned. She put Liam between us and turned off her lamp, laying down just as a huge crack of lightning rang out. Liam started to whimper and I pulled him closer to me.

"It's okay, little guy. Daddy's got ya," I rubbed his back as another boom filled the air and then the pitter patter of little feet sounded in the hallway.

"Abby? Seth?" Ashley asked. "Can I sleep with you?"

"Sure, sweets," Abby said and scooted over closer to Liam. "Are you scared?"

"Only a little. Not a lot," Ashley answered and crawled in next to Abby.

"It'll be okay, Ash," I said, reaching across my wife to pat her head.

"I know it will now that I'm with you guys," she said back and I smiled.

It was nights like this that our king size bed didn't seem big enough. But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Yep, life didn't get any better than this.

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**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**


	23. Baby, Bonding, and Bedrest

**AN: Of course, I still don't own Twilight…Abby is mine, but sweet baby Griffin belongs to Nina!**

**Thank you so very, very much to Ninadoll! She is an absolutely amazingly awesome beta, friend, and author. Her character, Petra, is one of my favorite OC's ever. Please check out her stories **_**How the Might Fall, The Rest of Forever, **_**and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're In The World, **_**I promise you won't be disappointed! Happy Diwali, Nina!**

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow, whom I'm hoping gets to see the original surrey with the fringe on top! ("There's a bright golden haze on the meadow…")**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out****my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com.**

**CHAPTER 22: BABY, BONDING, AND BEDREST**

**ABBY'S POV**

The Earth seemed to know that something wasn't right. The night before it had rained more than it had rained in months and about an hour ago, pristine white snowflakes began to flitter from the heavens. Little Griffin Black had been kidnapped and it was if Mother Nature felt the sadness in all of us. I stood in one of the side rooms in Jake and Nessie's house and placed my hand on my protruding stomach, rubbing gently and looking out the window.

"I'm getting ready to head out, Bee," Seth said from behind me, placing his hands on top of mine and resting his chin on my shoulder. I loved when he held me like this, feeling the life we'd created inside me. It always reminded me of when we found out we were expecting our second addition to the family.

_Leah and Alex's wedding was proving to be the social event of the year for anybody who was anybody. His mother had spared no expense and everything seemed to be laden with gold of some sort. The sun was setting and reflecting off the water, providing an amazing view with autumn arbor, decorated with more leaves than most trees this time of year. _

_It was October, just before Halloween and though I'd been feeling a bit lethargic, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Until the weekend of the wedding, more precisely until the moment Bella and Edward Cullen walked through the door. _

"_Hold Liam, I'm gonna be sick," I groaned, passing Liam off to Ava. My nostrils were filled with sickening sweet cotton candy-vinegar scent and I almost doubled over. _

"_Wait, what?" Ava asked, taking Liam just as I got up and walked as fast as my heels would take me to the bathroom. I emptied everything out of my stomach and fought back dry heaves before the door opened._

"_Bee?" my husband said, sounding panicked, and not because he was in a women's restroom either. "What happened?" Seth was to walk Leah down the aisle and I immediately felt my heart fill with guilt._

"_Leah…needs you," I dry heaved and pulled my sapphire blue dress from under my knees._

"_We have a few minutes. Let me in," Seth said with a soft tap on the bathroom cubicle door._

"_No, I don't want to ruin the wedding," I groaned. The next thing I heard was the sound of metal twisting as Seth ripped the door off the hinges. "Seth!"_

"_You wouldn't let me in and I was scared," he said, pulling my hair back and squatting down to take my chin in his hand. "What happened?"_

"_I just smelt that horrible sweet and sour scent and I couldn't hold it back," I was holding back tears as Seth looked at me. I could see him thinking and if I weren't sick as a dog, I'd think it was sexy as hell._

"_Describe the scent to me," he said, furrowing his brow in thought._

"_Like sweet, really sweet, like pure sugar but mixed with the most awful vinegar," I gagged at just the memory of it. But Seth was thinking, and it was like a light bulb went off in his head. _

"_Okay, when we're finished here, we'll have to make a stop at the drug store before we go to the hotel, okay?" Seth pulled me into him and kissed my forehead. "It's gonna be okay, babe." He said as he helped me up. _

_The ceremony and reception didn't disappoint, it was on a scale of grandeur I'd only ever seen on movies or read in magazines. It made me a little sad that Seth and I didn't get to have a big wedding. But we had the wedding that was us, our family, our baby, us. _

_Just as midnight rolled around and Leah and Alex left for a honeymoon in Bali, Seth pulled into the 24-hour Walgreens next to our hotel, Gilchrist Towers. He was inside the store for almost ten minutes before coming out with a sack and handing it to me with a smile. Ginger ale, crackers, peppermints, and…a set of three pregnancy tests. I looked back at a sleeping Ashley and Liam and looked at Seth in shock._

"_Just trust me, okay?" he kissed my hand and I tried to calm down. I would have a million babies with Seth if I could but this…this was so much different than with Liam. I wasn't going anywhere, Seth didn't seem anything but giddy and he waited patiently on the bed in the bedroom of our suite while I went into the bathroom to take the tests. I left the tests on the counter and walked out to join Seth. "How are you feeling?"_

_I let out a ragged breath and curled into his side. "Scared. Can we do two babies and an eight year old?"_

_He chuckled and squeezed me a little. "Hell yeah we can. We're Abby and Seth Clearwater, we can do anything." I looked into his eyes and I felt myself believing every single bit of it. I didn't even flinch when the timer went off and Seth brought the tests out to confirm his suspicions. Another Clearwater was on the way._

I'd been so happy and floating on a cloud since that day only to be brought down by the kidnapping. "Promise me you'll be safe and kick whoever who did this ass," I gritted my teeth and turned in Seth's arms. We'd just heard that the wolves had located the motel that they believed Griffin was being held in and I was pissed that whoever had done this was wreaking havoc on the pack, on my family. I was normally a pretty peaceful person but not when it came to this, and especially not when it came to the pack babies.

"We'll bring Griffin home safe and sound," he kissed me gently. "Take care of my babies while I'm gone and stay off your feet."

I rolled my eyes. That was the downside of this pregnancy. Though in the beginning things seemed okay and healthy, just before Thanksgiving Kim gave me strict instructions to take it easy. My blood pressure shot up and I started spotting. It wasn't good. This baby was going to require more attention than Liam did. Today, when one of my best friends needed me, when Nessie was so distraught, I could only hold her and try to console her. I was virtually useless for anything else.

"Seth," Embry said, his jaw tight and his breaths coming fast and hard. "We're leaving now."

Seth nodded and gave me one last kiss before following Embry out the door. I looked back out the window. The rain, the snow, all of it precursors for the tragedy of today.

"Abbs, Seth told me to come get you," Ava stood at the door. Something was going on with her. I couldn't tell what it was but I knew something wasn't quite right. She'd spent most of the day in the kitchen cooking up a storm and making sure that the moment Griffin got home, he and the pack would be greeted with a meal. She made pumpkin pie, which she knew was one of Griffin's favorites. While the rest of us worried and paced and cried, Ava did what she did best: She cooked.

At the moment, I wasn't too happy about being ordered around. By my little sister or my husband. "I'm coming," I groaned.

"I made these for you," she said, holding out a tray of lemon turnovers.

"Thank you," I said, taking one and nibbling right away. It seemed like forever since I'd last eaten and though I knew there were more nutritional meals for me, this would do for the moment.

She smiled at me half-heartedly. "Do you think Griffin will be okay?"

"I hope so. It's funny, I almost think Liam and Keegan and the other little boys know that something isn't right. None of them would go down for naps, they don't want to play, it's…"

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud scream. "You stupid bitch! My family was fine before you stuck your gold-digging head into our business! You turned my brother against me!"

"What the fuck?" Ava said under her breath. We walked to where Nessie and Rebecca were.

"If you weren't such a greedy money monger, we would've gotten the ransom and all this would've been over," Rebecca screamed. It started to click then although we'd missed most of the exchange. Rebecca had known about the kidnapping, as in she knew who it was that had Griffin. Nessie pulled her arm back, her hand clenched in a fist as she reared back and punched Rebecca Black harder than I'd ever seen anyone hit someone else.

"Don't you ever, ever, ever come near my family again!" Nessie said through clenched teeth and I wanted to give her a round of applause. I wondered if I could get a good kick in when I walked by Rebecca. The thought of anyone hurting a child, nonetheless someone related to them, made me nauseous and I grabbed Ava's hand to steady myself.

"You okay?" she whispered and I gave her a quick nod.

One of the deputies pulled Rebecca off the floor, then threw her on her stomach so he could handcuffed her behind her back."Rebecca Black, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Griffin Black. You have the right to remain silent..." the deputy said as about twenty sets of eyes watched him. "Do you understand these rights?"

"Fuck you!" Rebecca spit out.

"I'll take that as a yes," the deputy said with sigh, walking Rebecca out the door.

A kind of silence settled over all of us as we looked around at one another. It was quiet, eerie almost. I watched as a teary Rachel walk over to Billy and crouch down in front of him.

I rubbed my stomach again, hoping to settle the baby just as Liam ran to me. "Mommy hoed," he whimpered. I leaned down and picked him up. He buried his head in my neck. I rubbed his back and tried to calm him but he seemed very tense.

"What's wrong, little one?" I asked.

"Bad," he whispered and pointed his finger at the door where the culprit had just been removed from. It was so beyond the truth but I worried how she might react so I held my son tighter. Nessie was watching us and I instantly froze, feeling guilty that I had my baby in my arms while she waited for word of her own. She gave me a half-smile though and then started looking around.

"Mom?" she said through watery eyes as Bella came and ushered her to the office.

I held Liam and sat on the couch as he pulled away to look at my stomach. "Ba-bee," he said and then babbled on. Ava walked back in with a sandwich for me and a large glass of orange juice. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Any other time Ava had said those words, something horrible followed. In the last few months/years, however, I'd tried to be optimistic and hope that she wasn't going to drop any bombshells on me.

"Of course," I said. She pulled me to the couch in the room, helped me sit down, then pulled my feet into her lap. "I'm pregnant, I'm not an invalid." I had to admit that it did feel good though.

"Hush," she said, handing me a slice of cheese. I'm sure my eyes must've been wide with excitement. "So I wanted to talk to you about something wolf related."

"Okay," I answered between bites. "I'm not an expert, but ask away."

I noticed that something was different with Ava, the way she stared off into space. It wasn't a good thing either. She seemed scared and it wasn't a quality I was used to ever associating with my younger sister. That just wasn't her.

"What does it feel like to be an imprint?" she asked. I know I had to give her a strange look because she almost immediately put her hands in front of her in surrender. "I'm just curious, geez." She took a deep breath. "Let's call it a science experiment."

"Um," I wasn't entirely sure why she was asking or really what she meant by it. "I guess it's hard to explain. There's this connection, like you can look in each other's eyes and have a conversation without ever uttering a word. You just know each other, you love each other and will do and be whatever the other person needs."

Ava looked at me, then looked away. "Don't get mad at this question, okay?" I nodded. "Do you think you would love Seth without the imprint?"

I thought for a minute. It was a great question, one that I'd thought about for months and one that I knew someone would eventually ask someday. I just never thought it'd be Ava. "You know, I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I'd like to think that even me catching you in bed with the sleezeball was all part of what led us here. Just like how Mom and Dad belonged together, Seth and I belong together. He is my soulmate, my other half in everything. And I like to believe that somehow we would've eventually found each other, whether that was in my office or Aunt Tess's bakery or an elevator at the mall. I would love him if he were a cab driver or an artist or a sample guy at Costco. Imprint or not, I would have found him and would love him with every ounce of my being." I watched her thinking again. "Why this interest in imprinting?"

Ava shrugged. "I just wondered." I knew she was lying, I knew she had to have a specific issue that was bothering her, something really deep about imprinting and the wolves and I suspected it had something to do with Scar, though I wasn't one hundred percent sure.

"You'll find your other half, Ava. I think you're so special and I know that he's out there just waiting to bump into you," I said. I loved my sister and I knew she was obviously asking for a specific purpose but I didn't want to pry. I did, however, feel the need to add my own color commentary. "And if you love someone already, a wolf, and you're not his imprint, it can be okay. It won't be easy, but it can be okay."

We sat in a comfortable silence, save for Liam's babbling, and waited. I knew it had to be soon. Claire joined us and began jabbering about plans for Claire's Chic Pet Salon, Spa, and Barktique. It sounded like quite the venture but I had to admit that if anyone could pull it off, it would be Claire. She didn't take no for an answer and she had a way with animals that most people couldn't even fathom. Just as I started to relax, the phone rang.

"Hello?" I heard Nessie say, carrying the phone into the room where most of the others had gathered with us. "I want to hold him," she said softly. There was another bit of quiet while the other person talked. "Hurry, please hurry." She listened again then said, "I love you, both of you," before ending the calll. I looked at her, as did several other of the women, waiting. "They found him and they're on their way home."

There was almost a collective sigh of relief from all of us. This was definitely great news. I walked up to Nessie and wrapped her into a hug, both of us kind of at funny angles with our pregnant bellies, before she continued hugging everyone else. I'd spent most of the day with her, trying to comfort her even though I felt too weak to do much. But it was paying off.

It didn't take long for the sounds of the cars pulling into the driveway to catch the vampires' attention and almost as soon as the car was parked and Jake placed Griffin on the ground, he ran into his mother's arms. It was special and even though the day had been one of the hardest since I'd moved to La Push, and even though my sister was worrying me, and even though I was in a house full of werewolves and vampires, I still considered myself to be one of the luckiest people on Earth.

**SETH'S POV**

I leaned down into the crib where Liam was sleeping. I breathed in his scent and listened to his soft breaths and noises. He had curled himself into a little bit of a ball and it was funny how much he looked like a wolf pup might look when they were sleeping. "Nayelli, Liam," I patted his back and continued to stare.

I didn't want to take my eyes off my son. He was small and warm and he could be taken from me in the snap of a finger. I couldn't imagine, having missed the first few days of his life, not knowing exactly where he was in the exact minute of everyday. I felt the same connection to the baby that Abby was carrying, it was ours and knowing that, that it was made out of our love for each other, made me truly understand the concept of fatherhood. Liam stirred in his crib, reaching his hands above his head and opening his eyes. "Daddy hoed," he said, reaching out for me.

"Okay, little guy, but you gotta go back to sleep," I whispered. I leaned down and scooped him up, holding him close to me as he put his arms around my neck. I started to hum an old Quileute paddling song that worked as a lullaby and rocked my son.

"Seth?" I heard from the doorway.

I turned instantly to see Abby standing there. She looked unsteady on her feet and when our eyes met, her knees buckled and she crumpled to the floor. "Shit!" I yelled.

"Daddy?" Liam looked at me.

"Stay here, Liam," I quickly put him in his crib before running over to Abby.

Her face was so white and I moved her hair from her forehead to feel it, then immediately felt her for a pulse. "Abby, baby?" I had done fine to that moment but then, as I looked closely at her face, her color was almost as white as the shirt she had on. "Oh, no…" I knew this wasn't good and I was praying that she wasn't miscarrying, and that the drastic change in her color was an indication of blood loss. "Abby, honey, I'm gonna take you to Carlisle, okay? Wake up, baby." She wasn't responding. I held her in my arms, then closed my eyes and laid my head on her abdomen.

_Dub lub…dub lub_…the heartbeat was still there. "Ava!" I yelled. "Ava, I need your help!" No response.

"What's going on?" a very sleepy Leah asked and I had never before been so happy to see my sister.

"Abby passed out and I'm not sure what's wrong. I'm worried she's going to lose the baby and I need to get Carlisle. I need Ava to watch—"

"Go, Seth. I'll take care of Liam and Ashley. Call Carlisle to come here. I don't think you're in any condition to drive," Leah commanded.

I pulled Abby close to me. She had to be okay, the baby had to be okay. I stood up carefully, trying not to jostle her around or make her uncomfortable. All my medical training didn't seem to be kicking in either.

As gently as I could I laid her on our bed, attempting to search for the phone, which seemed to be nowhere in sight. "Goddammit!" I screamed. Finally, after pulling up almost every throw pillow in the room, the silver phone finally caught my eye and my fingers fumbled as I dialed the number. Almost immediately, Carlisle answered the phone and waited for me to patiently explain everything to him. I couldn't take care of her, my Abby. I was too scared and I felt so weak but I knew and trusted Carlisle with their lives, both of them.

"We're on our way right now, Seth," he said.

I turned my attention to Abby again. She was still so white. I touched her forehead to check her temperature. She seemed a little cold so I pulled the covers over her and then laid my head back on her stomach, listening very intently to our child's heartbeat. I don't know how long I sat there and I didn't look up until I felt Carlisle at the door. Something inside me took over and I growled at him. At the moment, I wasn't Dr. Seth Clearwater, the man who had been friends with the Cullens, I was Seth, the wolf who had a vampire trying to get to his imprint.

"Calm down, Seth. It's just me. I need to take a look at Abigail," Carlisle said patiently.

I took two deep breaths, attempting to calm the wolf. I moved away from the bed allowing Carlisle access to Abby. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean to growl and get all territorial."

"I know you're worried but give me a few minutes to look over Abigail and then we'll talk," Carlisle walked to the side opposite side of the bed and started to check her vitals. I hovered over him, watching him like a hawk and basically getting in his way until he gently suggested that I wait outside.

I walked out to the bedroom, leaned against the wall and slowly collapsed onto the floor. _Please let her be okay…please let the baby be okay…please…_It seemed like hours that they were in there. I could hear Carlisle talking to Abby and her answering but I wasn't entirely sure what was being said. I just wanted the door to open and let me know everything was alright.

"How far along is she, Seth?" Esme asked from beside me, almost frightening me a little. I swear she came out of nowhere and, as a wolf, I should've smelt her. I guess my mind was a little preoccupied.

"Sixteen weeks," I answered. Esme handed me a cup of coffee and I took it, taking a sip. "She's due on May 1st."

"May babies are good," Esme said, joining me on the floor. "How's Liam taking the pregnancy?"

I chuckled, thinking about how Liam liked to look at Abby's stomach and yell. "Hewo!" He was only fifteen months old and I wasn't entirely sure he understood but I think he must have known something was different. He would always sit in Abby lap, facing her, almost petting her stomach and babbling on to his unborn baby brother or sister. "I think he knows something's going on in Abby's stomach but I don't think he gets the whole concept of a real baby being in there," I said.

She nodded and let out a small bell-like laugh. "I think it's funny how all the wolf women get pregnant at the same time. It's fascinating really."

"I guess it's a bit like the pack regenerating itself, making sure we have enough wolves for the next pack," I answered. It really was amazing how many of the imprints were pregnant right now. Ness and Abby and Emily and Rachel and I was secretly praying that Quil and Claire were being very careful because that was not a pregnancy I'd want to explain to anyone!

Carlisle stepped out of the room, leaving the door open. "Do you have a portable ultrasound machine?"

I furrowed my brow. "No, but I can get one," I said, hopping up from my spot on the floor.

"That won't be necessary," Carlisle turned to Esme. "Can you go to the house and bring mine?"

Esme nodded and squeezed my shoulder. "I'll be right back," she said before scampering off to the black Mercedes.

"Is she okay, Carlisle?" I asked.

"I need to take a look at the baby but she's stabilized now," Carlisle paused and looked at me. "It's been a stressful day so it's not unusual that her blood pressure was so high but I have a feeling you're going to have to monitor that more closely."

"Her blood pressure was high?" I asked. Carlisle nodded. "That would explain why she passed out. She had some spotting a while back and her blood pressure was high then."

"Did she have any of those things with Liam?" he asked and immediately the guilt set in my chest. He must have figured out what he'd done because Carlisle quickly apologized. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," I tried not to think about the fact that I'd missed all of Liam's pregnancy and birth. "I don't think there were any problems though. None that Abby's ever mentioned."

Carlisle smiled. "That's good then. You know, every pregnancy is different and there's a lot more going on this time. I can tell you that I can still hear the heartbeat, and it's still very strong."

That was a relief. "Thank you, Carlisle," I said.

"Seth?" I heard Abby call from our bedroom.

"You can go in if you'd like. I have her IV all set up," Carlisle said.

I nodded before saying another thank you and walking in as quietly as I could. Abby was laying flat on her back with her hand over her stomach, gently humming and rubbing the bump on her abdomen. Her color looked better but it pained me to see the IV hooked into her arm. For a moment, I felt a flash of anger run through me. Why did bad things happen to her? To my wife, my imprint, the most amazing woman I knew? She didn't deserve it. She was nothing but loving and kind and helpful and yet it seemed like bad luck followed her everywhere. It wasn't fair, but then again, when was life for me and mine ever fair.

"Why are you just standing there and staring at me?" Abby's soft voice asked bringing me out of my anger induced coma.

"I was just admiring you," I smirked, walking over to sit in the chair next to the bed.

"I want you to feel the baby. I want you to tell her to stay in there. She'll listen to you, you're her daddy," Abby said, successfully breaking my heart a little more. "Girls always listen to their daddies."

I placed my hand over hers on her stomach. "What makes you think it's a girl?" I couldn't help but smile thinking of whatever this baby was, boy or girl, it was loved and wanted, and how it had to be okay.

"I just think it is," she whispered.

We were both quiet until I lay my head level with her stomach. "Little baby? I know you can hear me. I want you to be good and listen to your Mommy, okay? We need you to stay inside there so you can grow bigger and stronger. And then I promise you, when you do make your entrance into the world, you are going to be so happy. But right now, you still have a lot of growing to do. I love you, baby. Mommy loves you and your big brother loves you. Be strong, be a strong little pup for me." I laid there for a minute. It was surreal almost. I'd seen tons of people talk to pregnant women's stomachs before and never really thought anything about it. Honestly, I'd thought it was a little creepy. But here, talking to my own child, I was just praying that it would hear me, listen to me. It was more real than anything I could imagine.

I heard an unnecessary throat clear behind me as Carlisle and Esme stood in the doorway, portable ultrasound in hand. "Shall we take a look?" Carlisle asked.

"Please," I said. I watched as Esme walked out and Carlisle walked in, raising Abby's gown and squirting gel on her stomach as I pulled the machine over and plugged it in. I had to remind myself to turn off the doctor switch and be the husband and father. I couldn't be clinical now, as much as it would've been easier to be that way, I had to hold my wife's hand and if things weren't going to be okay, I had to be able to comfort her and not think like a doctor.

Carlisle took the wand and turned the screen before pressing the wand to Abby's stomach. The loud rush of the baby's heartbeat filled the air and I felt Abby grip my hand tighter. "That's a very good sign," Carlisle smiled. The baby's profile came into view and Carlisle pointed out the spine and head. "The placenta looks good as well." He kept moving the transducer. "Would you like to know the sex?"

I looked down at Abby who had a smile on her face. "It's up to you," she said to me. I knew she wanted to know. Hell, I wanted to know.

"Please," I said to Carlisle without even hesitating and taking my eyes off Abby again to look at the baby. Abby giggled and I looked back at her. "For Liam's sake, you know. So he can be ready for a sister or a brother."

Carlisle smiled. "You can tell Liam that he can expect a little brother."

"A boy?" I asked, staring at the screen again. Suddenly I was faced with the idea of having not one but two future wolves to love and protect.

"Yes," Carlisle said, freezing the shot on the screen. "You can very clearly see his penis." He pointed out and I couldn't help but grin.

"Definitely a boy and definitely a future wolf," I chuckled. "Thank you, Carlisle."

"My pleasure," he said before wiping the gel off Abby's stomach. "I'm going to call Kim to have her come by and check you out but I can tell you this. You need to watch your blood pressure. It was dangerously high today and you're very lucky you didn't have a stroke. I know today was stressful but in the future, keep a close eye on it, okay?"

"Yes, doctor," Abby said. "What about work?"

"I would discourage it, but if you absolutely have to, I'd limit it two days a week. Stay off your feet as possible and avoid stressful situations if you can," Carlisle patted Abby's hand but she stopped him and switch the position of the hands so that she was holding his.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen. I feel like we owe you so much," she said. Carlisle started to say something but Abby interrupted him. "You saved Seth during the newborn war and you saved me. You are an excellent doctor, but you are an amazing person and I'm so proud to call you our friend." I watched Abby closely. In all the time we'd known the Cullens, she accepted them but I could tell she still wasn't 100% okay with what they were. This was her giving up all those fears and preconceived notions of them. I was proud of her at the moment. "Your scent still kinda makes me nauseous though."

Carlisle chuckled and leaned down to place a kiss on Abby's forehead. "I'm very proud to call you my friend too, Abigail. Now get some rest."

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

I walked Carlisle out of our bedroom and down the hall, stopping to hear singing coming from Liam's room. "Come and sit by my side if you love me, do not hasten to bid me adieu. But remember the Red River Valley and the cowgirl who loved you so true." I peeked in to see Esme in the rocking chair, rocking Liam and singing. "As you go to your home by the ocean, may you never forget those sweet hours, that we spent in the Red River Valley and the love we exchanged mid the flowers." She hummed as she stood up then walked to the crib, laying Liam in his bed. "Night, little Liam." It was a scene that wrenched at my heart, knowing what I knew of Esme.

"She loves babies," Carlisle said with a sad, sweet smile. "She's a wonderful grandmother."

I nodded as she walked towards us. "You're welcome to come over anytime and put him to bed. Usually when I do it, he wants to play and I can't ever get him to sleep."

Esme chuckled. "I'd be happy to."

"Where's my sister?" I asked. Leah was supposed to be the one taking care of Liam and Ashley and yet she was nowhere to be found.

"Ashley woke up and was scared, Leah's down with her," Esme answered. "How's Abby?"

"She just needs to take it easier for a little while but she'll be okay," he said.

"That's good." Esme turned to me. "Please let me know if you need any help with the children. I know that Leah and Ava will be going back to Seattle and I know you will have your hands full. We'll be here until after Renesmee delivers so please don't hesitate."

"Thank you," I said. These two people, Carlisle and Esme Cullen, were truly awesome people and, as I walked them to the door, I knew I had to find some way to repay them for everything they had done for us. I wasn't sure what it would be, money was a no-go since they had more than I did anyway, not to mention that when I tried to pay Carlisle he shook it off and told me to keep it.

As I watched the black Mercedes pull away, I decided that would be my task. I would have to find some way to thank them, something suitable for probably the most unselfish, giving people in the world. Yeah, that was going to be easy…

**Please don't forget to review! Thank you very, very much!**


	24. The Perfect Fit

**AN: Of course, I still don't own Twilight…wouldn't it be awesome if I did though? If I did, I'd buy you all holiday gifts! Instead, I'm a poor teacher, and this is the only gift I can give all of you. Enjoy!**

**Thank you so very, very much to Ninadoll! She is an absolutely amazingly awesome beta, friend, and author. Please check out her stories **_**How the Might Fall, The Rest of Forever, **_**and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're In The World**_**! She is truly amazing and she makes writing in her universe so much fun! And her stories are fabulous! Her character, Petra, makes an appearance in this chapter. She is one of my most favorite OC's ever! Thank you, Nina for creating her! **

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow, who has been putting up with my recent obsession of Mr. Potter and…RONALD WEASLEY!**

**Thank you to everyone who voted for Nina and I for the The Avant Garde FanFiction Award and the Twilight Original Characters Awards. Unfortunately, we didn't win. But your votes are very appreciated so thank you!**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out****my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com.**

**CHAPTER 23: THE PERFECT FIT**

**ABBY'S POV**

Seth was patrolling and I was supposed to be sleeping, keyword "supposed." I couldn't help it, I was counting down the minutes until he got home. At seven and a half months pregnant, I was currently in what I liked to call my wolf phase, meaning I was moody, often pissy, and always horny. I craved Seth like a chocaholic craves the most decadent truffles. Everything about him turned me on about ten thousand more times than it had before.

It was funny thinking about it too because I'm not sure if it's because Seth wasn't there, but when I was pregnant with Liam, I don't remember a wolf phase. And this time, it wasn't always a good thing. Like now, as I lay in bed doing nothing but staring at the ceiling, which was something I'd been getting really good at since I spend all but one day a week in bed. I was waiting for my husband to come home so that, quite frankly, I could have my way with him. It seemed like it was taking longer than usual though and I scooted my body so my legs hung over the side of the bed, then steadied myself with my hand to slowly stand.

I waddled down to Ashley's room. She was sprawled out on her bed with her _Diary of a Wimpy Kid_ book on her chest and her lamp on. She had clearly fallen asleep reading and she looked absolutely precious. I was so very proud of my littlest sister. She had done so well fitting in at school, being the only "pale face." That didn't matter to her because I think deep inside, she saw herself as a Quileute, even though she had no Quileute blood in her. She just felt like she was. Her best friend was Quileute, her adopted grandparents were Quileute, her nephew was half-Quileute, so she felt like she should be too.

"Sleep tight, sweets," I whispered to her, taking the book and putting her bookmark in it before setting it on her bedside table. I kissed my fingers then placed them on her forehead, my stomach preventing me from leaning down and kissing her myself. She didn't stir as I covered her up with her quilt and turned off the lamp.

I closed the door behind me and headed to Liam's room. He was fast asleep in his new "big boy" bed, in his newly redecorated bedroom. Esme, who had been spending a lot of time with Liam and Ashley as of late, helped with this particular project. We moved Liam to the bedroom next to his old nursery, and she helped to turn his room into a dinosaur paradise, perfect for a little boy. Liam adored Esme and I have to admit that I was glad. I loved my mother so much, and no one could ever replace her, but I was glad that Liam could have two grandmother figures in his life. Especially now, since it was getting ready to change so drastically. Liam was taking everything well. He knew that a baby was coming, that he was going to be a big brother and thought I wasn't sure he knew said baby was inside me, he knew that my stomach was bigger and something was definitely going on. Seth and I both worried about when the baby actually came how Liam would react. He liked babies, for the most part, and he'd been around a few, with the pack in its regeneration stage at the moment. He watched Griffin with Bodhi and saw him call himself the "big bradder." Liam looked up to Griffin, and I took comfort in knowing that Griffin was a great big brother and that hopefully he would rub off on Liam in that way.

"Sweet dreams, little one," I whispered to Liam and then repeated my forehead kiss.

The last stop on my late night patrol was the nursery. It was the same room we'd used for Liam. We'd recycled the crib and changing table and my rocker. But Esme had helped make the room unique for our newest Clearwater with a new coat of paint and few other small decorations. I have to admit, looking around, the room turned out far better than I'd anticipated. The day they started painting the walls, I spent most of the day in tears as Liam's green room was repainted a light blue hue with a hot air balloon painted in the corner of one wall. It was devastating to me to think that Liam was growing up. I think in actuality, that day, it hit me that one day Liam, like Ava, would grow up, move away, and leave me with another empty room. Of course, Seth says part of it was pregnancy hormones but I saw a slight sadness in his eyes too that day.

I walked to the rocker and sat down. I rubbed my now bulging stomach and hummed softly to the little one inside me. He didn't have a name yet, though not from lack of discussion on our part. Nothing seemed quite right. We had a debate about once a week but nothing of value had come out yet.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Seth's voice brought me out of my thoughts and forced me to open my eyes. He was standing in the doorway, in only a pair of boxers, his arms across his chest. Oh, I remembered now what I wanted. He uncrossed his arms and walked towards me, taking my hands.

"Waiting for you to get home," I said as sexily as possible.

Seth leaned down to kiss softly, not exactly what I had in mind, and I pulled him to me with force. He didn't seem to get the picture until I started to run my hands down his chest to the elastic band of his shorts. "No you don't," he said. He broke the kiss and grabbed my stray hand. "To bed with you, Bee."

I know he had to hear me groan because he chuckled while we walked to the bedroom. I hated this feeling, like I was old and decrepit and he was taking care of me. I was ready to be able to do things for myself, to hold my babies in my arms, to work full-time. I didn't think about it long though because Seth slid into bed next to me.

"I love you for always," I said, scooting even closer and pulling him to kiss me again. It would have been a lot easier if my belly didn't seem to get in the way.

"Love you too," he whispered. I didn't break the kiss though and tried to intensify it, sliding my tongue slightly and hitching my leg up. "Abby, no." His voice was almost cold and it hurt deep in my chest.

"Why not?" I asked, sounding too much like begging for my taste.

"Because, we've made love every night this week. You're supposed to be taking it easy, Bee. As a doctor—"

I cut him off. "I don't want you to be my doctor right now. I want you to be my husband."

"Then as your husband, I want our child to arrive safely. I don't want you going into premature labor or stroking out because I couldn't keep it in my pants," Seth's voice was forceful and it made my blood boil.

I ground my teeth and pulled Seth's face so he was looking directly into my eyes. "Like I don't worry about the baby? I do, I do everyday because he's inside me and it's my fault that things haven't been like they're supposed to be. It's my fault that I'm stuck in bed, it's my body that's weak."

"You're not weak, Abby. Pregnancy is a very drastic change for a woman's body. You know that, and things just happen sometimes that we can't control. But this, this horniness that's sprung up lately, that we can control," Seth kissed me softly. I cuddled into him and muttered a soft thanks. However, I wasn't finished though. I was about to pull the card that I knew would get me what I wanted.

"I guess I'm just not a good imprint. A wolf isn't supposed to be able to resist his imprint," I said. It was dangerous really because I heard Seth growl and before I knew it, I was leaning over the bed with Seth behind me, sucking on my neck, pushing my gown up and my panties down. It wasn't smart to ask him to claim me like that when my body really was a little too fragile but my hormones won out over reason and I got exactly what I wanted.

The next morning I woke up later than I should have. It was quiet in the bedroom until, "Abby?" a voice said from the door. I smiled, finally feeling like the day was exactly how it should be.

"Hey, sweets," I pulled the covers back and Ashley smiled, almost running over to join me in the bed. I pulled her as close as I could and wrapped my arms around her. "How are you this morning?"

"Good. Seth made me and Liam pancakes," she cuddled into me. "I'm really sad I'm going to miss the bonfire tonight," Ashley started to tear up. She had been invited to a birthday party for one of her school friends and as much as she wanted to go the bonfire, she knew that it was just as important to spend time with her friends. It was better this way. They were going to talk about the wolves at the bonfire tonight, and Ashley was not in on that secret.

"I know, Ash, but it will be okay. You'll have fun at the party and then we'll pick you up and tell you all about it," I told her, hugging her.

"Will you tell Griffin I missed him and that I'll tell him and Remy and Hawke and Liam and Keegan and Bodhi a new story when I see them again?" her little voice sounded so devastated.

"Yes, ma'am. And we'll have Grandma Sue over tomorrow and I bet she can tell you a story if you want." Ashley loved to listen to Sue and Billy talk about the legends and though I don't think she got the fact that the Quileutes turned into wolves, she loved hearing them anyway.

"Okay," I felt her relax in my arms. "Are you going to take me to get the present for the party?" she sounded slightly panicked.

"Seth is. I already told him that you wanted to get her nail polishes and a little travel case to put them in, right?" I asked and she nodded before turning around in my arms and looking at me. Her brow was furrowed and she was scrunching her lips up, clearly thinking about something. "What?"

She blinked a few times. "Will it hurt you real bad when they take the baby out of your belly?"

I nearly choked on my breath. "What?"

"Betsy at school, her big sister just had a baby and she said it hurt really bad. Betsy said she heard her screaming in the hallway. She said it took a really long time and they put her sister's boyfriend in a wheelychair because he flainted," she was so confident in her story and I had to stifle a laugh. "Do you think Seth will flaint?"

I smiled at her but she was still too serious. I had a decision to make, I could lie and tell her a story about how a bird delivers babies to our doorsteps or I could semi-tell the truth. I went with the latter. "When the baby comes, he will have to come out of my body and it will hurt but Hawke's mommy will give me a shot so that it doesn't hurt so bad."

"How does the baby get out of you?" Ashley asked, almost more perplexed then she had been before.

"I'll have to get all my muscles to work together to push him out," I answered, praying that she wasn't going to ask me about _where_ he was going to come from. Luckily she didn't but what she did say next broke my heart.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she looked at me. Anytime she ever said that I felt my whole body tense up and I worried that she was going to tell me something horrible that I would have no idea how to deal with.

"Of course," I said. "You can always tell me anything."

Ashley put her arms around me and cuddled even closer to me. "I know…I just don't want you to be mad." I could only guess where this was going, she was starting to scare me though.

"I won't be mad. You're my little sister and I love you a lot, Miss Ashley," I said, kissing her forehead.

Ash looked away from me but kept her arms around me. "Sometimes…sometimes I wish that Seth were my Daddy and I get jealous of Liam and the baby because they have a daddy and I don't." She took a ragged breath and I rubbed her back. "I get so sad and I…do you still miss them ever?"

"Everyday," I whispered, kissing her forehead again. "Do you know what makes me feel better?" She shook her head no. "You and Ava, you two make me feel happy because when I see you, I see Mom and Dad." I pulled her a little away so she could look into my eyes. "You have Momma's eyes, and Daddy's nose. You have Daddy's heart for animals and you love Sadie, just like he would want you to. You and Ava let me know that even though Mom and Dad aren't here on Earth, I can still see them anytime I want to. And I thank them everyday for giving me you and Ava to love and remind me of them."

Ashley pulled closed to me again and hid her face. "I'm happy I have you too, Abby. I wish Momma and Daddy could see Liam, don't you?"

"Uh-huh," I said, playing with her hair. "And it's okay for you to love Seth, because he'll always be here for you too."

"I know," she said. "Like a big brother."

"Right," I answered, running my fingers through her hair as I felt the baby start to move.

Ashley pulled away quickly and almost fell out of the bed, staring at me with wide eyes. "The baby…he…I think he wants to come out now! He hit me!"

I giggled. "He's just saying 'Good Morning, Auntie Ash!' He's waking up now too." She continued to stare at my stomach and I took her little hand, placing it on the side where I knew his feet were. Almost immediately I felt him push against her hand and her eyes stayed wide.

"Wow," Ashley leaned down and kissed the spot where he hand was. "I can't wait to meet you, baby. I know we're going to have fun and I'm going to tell you lots of stories and tell you all about the wolves that live around here. You're going to love it here, baby!" She was whispering excitedly. "You really need to give him a name. I don't like just calling him 'baby'."

She had a point. "I know, I know. I'm working on it," I sighed. I leaned down and kissed her hair. "I love you, sweets."

"I love you too, Abbs," she hugged me and I closed my eyes, holding her. I forget sometimes how difficult this all had to be for Ashley. This pregnancy had affected her more than I realized. I had been on bed rest for so long that things we might have normally done, I couldn't do now. And she was so little and scared. Not for herself, but for me. I wanted to be able to give her something or do something to make it up to her.

"Mommy!" I opened my eyes and looked at Liam toddle in the door.

"Go get Mommy," Seth chuckled at Liam who ran as fast as he could to the edge of the bed, before Seth pulled him up and sat him next to Ashley.

"Ash!" my little boy said. He threw himself on his aunt and hugged her tight. "I eat pakes." He smiled as he pulled away and then moved to hug me. "Baby sweep?" Liam asked, pointing at my stomach.

I nodded. "He's awake now. You want to say hi?"

"Yes!" He nodded his head and I took his tiny hand, placing it on my stomach and moving it until I felt the little one inside me kick. "Hi, baby!" Liam chuckled. "Wuv baby! I wuv baby!"

I smiled at him and pulled his hand to kiss it. "I love you, Liam," I whispered to him. I looked at Seth, standing at the door with a grin that matched Liam's. I knew he was thinking that same thing I was. That we were lucky, that we were so lucky to have our family.

"Alright, Ash, why don't you take Liam in his room and see if you can find the fishy shirt that Grandpa Charlie got him for Christmas?" Seth said, as Ashley scooted off the bed and took her nephew's hand.

Seth crawled on the bed next to me. "You feeling okay this morning?" His voice was soft and his hand automatically went to my stomach as he nuzzled my neck. I nodded and sighed. The baby started to move and kick against Seth's hand. "He's really active today, isn't he?" He rubbed the spot where the baby had kicked. I could feel Seth's smile against my skin. "I never get tired of that feeling."

I don't think Seth meant to hurt me when he would say things like that, but inevitably, it did hurt. He said it when he felt the baby kick or move. Whether he realized it or not, that was the reminder of all he missed with Liam, everything I had taken away from him.

"I know we have a big thing tonight but promise me you won't do too much while I'm gone," Seth kissed my nose.

I giggled, knowing that he knew me too well. "I won't." There was lots to get done but I figured after our tryst last night, I should do as he asked. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "Love you for always," I whispered.

"Love you for always plus a day," he smiled against my cheek. "I'll be back." Seth pulled away and walked out of the room. I listened to my family open the garage door and then heard it close a few minutes later.

I laid back and put my hand on my stomach. "That's your family, baby," I said. "They're the best family anyone could ask for."

It was true. I was one lucky girl and no matter the mistakes I'd made in the past, no matter how much my life had been trying to this point, someone was looking out for me. To give me the most amazing husband, such loving sisters, a precious little boy, and the Pack, my second family. The baby nudged me, as if agreeing. "I love you too, baby. And even though you're keeping me off my feet, I know you're worth it," I grinned.

I closed my eyes and let sleep take over, for just a few more minutes. In my dreams, the only thing that was different from what I had now, was the tiny blue bundle I held in my arms. He was definitely worth it, definitely worth it.

**SETH'S POV**

It shouldn't have surprised me to see all the cars in the driveway when I got home from dropping Ashley off at the birthday party. Ava and Scar had arrived and Claire and Quil were parked behind them. "Looks like it's going to be a long night," I said to Liam who was sipping on a juice box in the backseat. It was funny to see such a scene. Three years ago, I was anal about no food or drinks in my car but now, what Liam wanted, Liam got.

"Scar?" Liam pointed to Ava's car. It was funny that he didn't associate it with Ava, but instead with his big brother, Scar.

"Yep, and Ave. We have a party tonight at the beach," I told him. I knew that would catch his attention.

"Griffin too?" he asked.

"Yep, and Keegan and Bodhi," I looked back to see Liam almost bouncing in his seat. "You have to be patient, though, Lee. We have to get Mommy and Aunt Ave."

"I go now!" Liam squealed. For the most part my son followed the rules, but when it came to his 'friends', he didn't have patience.

"No, Liam, we have to wait for the others," I told him, pulling into the garage and turning off the ignition.

"No, I go now," he almost growled at me. It was actually really cute but of course, I couldn't let him know that. I had to be the authority figure for the moment.

"No, you have to wait," I turned around and looked at him. At times, it was like looking in a time-reversing mirror, like seeing my younger self. Liam looked in my eyes, studying me. I knew he was seeing what he could get away with and he must have decided not much.

"Okay, Daddy," he said with a dramatic nod. I got Liam out of the car and snuggled him close. He wrapped his arms around my neck to hug me. "Go fast," he chuckled and I couldn't help but oblige, running almost double-time up the stairs and into the kitchen. "Heehee! Heehee!" Liam giggled. "You fun, Daddy."

"You're fun too, Lee," I kissed his forehead.

It was a little quiet in the kitchen but I could hear the voices upstairs. Tonight was going to be a big bonfire, it was the first one that Embry's new imprint, and the new wolves would be attending. Normally, Abby would want to push us out the door. She was always eager to get there early and help set up. She knew better than to even try that now

"There's my bro," Scar looked up from the TV when we walked into the den.

"Scar!" Liam struggled in my arms and I placed him on the floor. He ran to Scar and hopped on the couch next to him. "Miss you." He laid his head on Scar's arm.

"I miss you too," Scar said. Every time I saw Scar with Liam, it broke a little piece of my heart knowing what he must have been like as a big brother.

"The estrogen makers are upstairs," Quil blurted out.

I rolled my eyes. "Actually, men produce estrogen too," I said, forced to be the doctor yet again.

"Blah, blah, blah," Quil rolled his eyes back at me. "Sometimes I think you just like hearing yourself talk."

"Yeah, I went to medical school just to hear myself talk. I'm not saving lives or anything," I chuckled before slapping Quil on the back and heading to the estrogen den. They were all on our bed, Abby now dressed and ready to go. "Abigail Clearwater, there's no way you're going to be warm enough in that." I pointed at her grey wrap shirt and her black pants.

"Seth, I'm pregnant. My temperature is always at 290 degrees," she groaned. Her feet were swollen, her stomach was swollen, but she had never looked more beautiful. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I shook my head, realizing I must have been staring. "Just observing the sexiness," I chuckled.

"Gross," Ava pretended to gag and Claire joined in.

Abby put her legs over the side of the bed. "Oh, please. Like you don't know we have sex. How do you think I got this?" she pointed to her belly.

"I don't have to think about it though," Ava said, closing a book that was on the bed. I figured out quickly that this wasn't just a hen party. Abby was working, and she knew damn well she wasn't supposed to be.

"What are you doing?" I growled.

Abby rolled her eyes again but it was Claire that spoke up. "Chill, will ya? We were going over the final plans for the paint colors for my salon and barktique. It's going to be fantabulous!" She picked up the book and skipped out with Ava on her heels.

In addition to adding a new little one, Abby and I had made a pretty big investment too. About a month ago, the office park where both our offices are, was up for sale. We knew that land was a great investment to make, so we bought it. Then, the hippy coffee shop owner moved to Alaska, leaving his space open. We decided to knock down the wall between the coffee shop and Abby's clinic, making it one large space. And since she asked, we decided to let the extra space to Claire to start her grooming business. We were both very impressed with how much the engaged Claire had grown up. She and Quil were planning a June wedding and even when I had my doubts, Abby had faith in Claire. All that was left of the construction process was paint and the conjoining businesses would be up and running.

I helped Abby up from the bed and gave her a soft, gentle kiss on the lips. "Our son is in heaven downstairs with his big bro, Scar, but it took a lot to get him to agree to come in," I chuckled.

"Then let's not keep him waiting," she said, knowing Liam all too well.

I grabbed her comfort basket for her, complete with our OU blankets and her hot tea. And once t First Beach, I helped Abby onto the blanket, knowing damn well she wouldn't be able to stand up on her own. But when I tried to tell her that, she shooed me away. Luckily, an equally pregnant Emily, joined her.

"Daddy, I go?" Liam pointed at Keegan and Griffin as I held him in my arms. He was squirming, quite funny since normally he wanted me to hold him and hug him. Not when he was around his friends, though. He was too cool for his old man, even if he was only two-years old.

"Be careful, Liam," I said as I sat him down. The moment his feet met the ground, he was gone, joining his own little wolf-pack.

My eyes went from my son to my wife. She and Emily were talking, both with their arms behind them, pushing their stomachs forward. Abby still looked amazing though and I wasn't sure if it was the wolf in me or what, but it made me extremely happy to think of her pregnant with my baby. "Is it just me or do those two look like beached whales?" Lil' G said asked, laughing like a damn hyena.

"It's all about respect, Lil Girl, respect," I chuckled.

Lil' G's face straightened immediately. "Man, I thought we had an agreement that you wouldn't call me that anymore?"

"You just called my wife a beached whale," I said with an arched eyebrow.

"Whatever," Lil' G growled before stomping off, just like the little girl he was trying to convince me he wasn't. I turned my attention back to Abby and Emily, who had been joined by Rachel. Rachel was about two months pregnant and it was funny to see three pregnant imprints together.

I looked over to see Paul and Scar talking with a few of the other wolves around and decided to join them. Paul chuckled when I got closer. "Dr. Clearwater, how's the pregnant wife treating you? She in the horny stage of the pregnancy yet?"

"Why? Can't keep up with your pregnant wife, Mr. Winters? I could prescribe a little blue pill for you for that problem," I grinned. "But me, I don't have any problem keeping my wife satisfied in that area." Paul flipped me off before taking a drink of his beer.

"Viagra, right? He was talking about Viagra?" Sebastian asked Scar.

Scar groaned at Sebastian. "Why don't we leave the adults to their conversation and find you a juice box or something?" Scar lead Sebastian away to the ice chest.

"So, you guys pick a name yet?" Paul asked with a smirk.

"Not yet. What about you and Rachel, have you named number two yet?" I asked. "Because Abby and I could use some advice in that area. We can't think of anything, nothing seems to fit." Paul nodded.

"I'm gonna name my kids with cool names like Salamander or Chicago," Lil' G piped up from nowhere.

"You still here?" I asked, genuinely surprised that he was still hanging around us.

Paul laughed. "God help your unborn children," he said before taking another swig of beer. "Hey, Seth, you're a doctor, right? What say you we save the world from this dufus's offspring and just snip-snip right now?" Lil' G's eyes got big.

"Yeah, I think we could do that. You'd have to hold him down though, especially since I'm fresh out of anesthetic in my bag," I smirked, playing along with Paul's torment of the young wolf.

Lil' G yelped before putting his hands over his crotch area and running to the side of the fire with the younger wolves. "You know, sometimes, it's just too easy," Paul said.

"True, true," I looked back to fire where the girls were and saw Jake setting up his monstrosity of a seat. I couldn't help but chuckle, thinking that our big, tough Alpha insisted on all the comforts of home at a bonfire.

I looked to see Nessie hugging the pregnant girls, each one smiling and nodding at Petra as well. I wondered what Abby was thinking. We all knew Petra's story and I knew that Abby, ever the big sister, would feel for her. Not in a pity type of way, but in a genuine, kindness kind of way. Lil' G brought me out of my calm reflection by shooting me a glare from across the fire.

It was probably a good thing though because I needed to check on Liam. I watched him following Griffin and the others around. He was adorable to watch. He was the smallest but never let on that he was. And he always had a smile on his face.

I walked over to sit on the log directly behind Abby's blanket, and brought her close so she could use my legs as a cushion. "Thanks, my back is killing me," she whispered.

"Are you cold?" I asked, watched her nod and then pulled another blanket out of the basket to wrap around her before wrapping my own arms around her to keep her warm. I kept my eye on Liam and watched him follow Griffin as he said hello to Petra, who was now sitting with Claire and Ava. Griffin gave Petra a hug, and Liam, wanting to be just like him, followed suit. My heart swelled knowing that my son was kind and loving.

I held Abby throughout the night as Billy told the legends. But I knew Abby was tired and almost as soon as it was over, we packed up and headed home. I took Liam to his room, put his pajamas on and tucked him in.

I expected Abby to attack me when I walked into our bedroom. She'd been very 'active' lately. I opened the door and tiptoed in, only to find her fast asleep, snoring with her hand on her stomach.

When I woke up the next morning, Abby was already awake, looking through a book of baby names. "Nothing seems to fit," she groaned.

I smiled and even though I was contemplating going back to sleep, I knew this was something we needed to take care of. "How about we look at the family tree again?" I suggested as I pulled out a large map of paper containing both Abby and my families for as far back as we could. "How about Angus?"

"Ugh," Abby pretended to gag. "Is that your family or mine?"

"Yours," I answered.

"Hell no," she groaned. "How about Quin?"

I thought for a minute and then shook my head. "Sounds too much like Quil."

"True," she sighed. This was becoming almost worse than what I knew the childbirth would be like, but it's also not something to be taken lightly. A person's name is important since it tends to stick with them.

I thought for a few minutes of my favorite movies and television shows hoping to find something. "I got it! It's the perfect name!" I jumped up and felt Abby tense again. "Clark Kent!" I knew for sure that was the perfect name for my son. Just like a super hero, he'd be protecting his people. It made sense, right? Wrong…

"Superman, Seth? You really wanna give our child a complex, don't you?" She chuckled.

I hadn't really thought about that…I guess that ruled out Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne. I looked at Abby and noticed that she seemed to be deep in thought, but also had a hesitant look on her face. I touched her cheek and smiled at her. "What are you thinking about, Bee?"

Abby took a deep breath and leaned into my hand. "When I named Liam, I named him after my dad but I wanted him to have your name too. I think somehow we should name this little boy after your dad."

My father left the Earth when I was just 15, I wasn't sure why the Spirits had taken my father from me. Everyday I missed him and everyday I wished he could be here to see his family, his name live on. I don't know why but I hadn't really ever considered naming any child after him. In a sense this was my chance to thank him because I knew he was up there, in the Heavens, watching over us. There could never be another Harry Clearwater, though, of that I was sure. "How bout as a middle name? Harry as a middle name, that is," I said.

My wife smiled and took my hand in hers. "I like that," she whispered. We sat in quiet for a minute before Abby sighed. "We still need a first name though."

"Yeah," I sighed too. "On my side we have Elias, Silas, and Hohots."

"Hohots?" Abby arched her eyebrow.

"It was one of my Mom's family members. It's Nez Perce, means 'bear,'" I said, trying to remember exactly who it was that name belonged to.

"Let's cross that and Angus off the list, shall we?" she patted her stomach. "He doesn't feel like an Angus or a Hohots." I put the family tree aside and pulled Abby into my chest. "I love when you hold me like this." I smiled as I kissed her hair. "You're always so protective of me. I feel safe and loved, and it's better than best sex."

"Well, I hope that's not any indication of my love making abilities," I chuckled.

She shook her head. "Not at all, I love that particular activity too," she turned in my arms. We were face to face and she traced my jaw with her fingers then tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled. Actually, it wasn't so much a smile as a seductive grin. She hitched her leg over my hip and pressed into me. "You could try to convince me that this is better than holding me though," she smiled again. "I wouldn't fight you." It did feel like a good idea and I couldn't help myself, really. I probably would've given in too if my phone didn't ring. "Ignore it," Abby ran her hands down my bare chest.

"I can't," I protested. My body wasn't too keen on stopping though. "It could be work." Abby groaned, knowing she'd lost and I rolled to look at the phone. _Dr. Carlisle Cullen_. "Good morning, Carlisle," I answered.

"Good morning, Seth, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Carlisle said.

"No, it's fine. What can I do for you today?" I asked. Not that I minded a call from Carlisle, it was just not like him to call in the morning. I could also see a very mischievous look on my wife's face.

"Esme wanted me to call and see if you'd like for us to keep Liam and Ashley tonight. Griffin's coming over and she thought it might be fun to have a bit of a slumber party. We know that in a few weeks you won't have a chance for a little alone time. Plus Esme has a little project lined up for them, I think," Carlisle said. Other than my father, Billy and Jake, the man that I most modeled my life after was Carlisle and this was exactly why. He was not just a good doctor, he was one of the best men I knew. He had encouraged me to consider medical school and I owed so much to him. Both Abby and I did, actually.

"Abbs, Carlisle wants to know if Liam and Ash can stay with them tonight. Esme has a project for them," I said.

"Is she sure? I don't want to impose anymore than I already have," Abby's fingers met the elastic of my boxers. "She's done so much already." Esme had practically become a second grandmother to Liam and Ashley, not to mention all the help she'd been with the nursery and Liam's room since Abby was on bedrest.

"Tell her Esme insists, I will have a very unhappy wife if she doesn't get her way," Carlisle chuckled a bit and I conveyed the message. I could see Abby thinking but just like most everything this morning, I knew I was going to win. She gave me a small nod as her fingers danced back up my chest.

"What time should we bring them over?" I asked. As Carlisle and I finished the conversation, Abby turned onto her back and interlocked her fingers over her belly. Plans were all set for the little ones as I hung up the phone.

"I love the Cullens," Abby whispered. "I've been trying to think of someway to repay them for everything but nothing could come close. Except," she paused. "I was thinking maybe…" she bit her lip. "Cullen Clearwater has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Cullen Clearwater…Cullen Harry Clearwater. It did have a nice ring to it. Not to mention that this would be a permanent way to express our gratitude for everything they had done. Yes, Cullen Clearwater was perfect. "I think that's the one. I think we're having a little Cullen." I rested my hand on her stomach to feel Cullen kicking and squirming. I like to think that was his way of telling us he loved his name. I laid my head on Abby's stomach. "I can't wait to meet you and hold you, Cullen Clearwater." I couldn't imagine a more perfect name, or a more perfect family.

**So, there it is. Baby number two has been named! I hope you like it! Thank you for reading, please review! Happy Holidays to everyone!**


	25. Deliver Me

**AN: Of course, I still don't own Twilight…wouldn't it be awesome if I did though? **

**I cannot say thank you enough to my beta, Ninadoll! This chapter was not easy for me to write and I couldn't have finished it without her. She is an absolutely amazingly awesome beta, friend, and author. Please check out her stories**_**How the Might Fall, The Rest of Forever,**_**and**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're In The World**_**! She is truly amazing and she makes writing in her universe so much fun! **

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow, who never gets tired of my "That's what she said…" jokes!**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com.**

**CHAPTER 24: DELIVER ME**

**SETH'S POV**

I ran my hand down Abby's back, stopping just above her pelvic bone. "Here?" I asked, kissing her neck.

"Yes," Abby moaned as I rubbed hard with my fist. "God, that feels good." I couldn't stop myself from grinning as I felt her body start to relax. It had sort of scared me to see her like this. Her body was curled in a ball, her hands over her stomach. She looked frail and it killed me to know that she was having to go through this.

"Have you had anymore contractions?" I asked. The baby wasn't due for at least two weeks and though she tried to hide it, my wife was having contractions. They weren't close together or anything to run to the hospital for, but they were something to watch.

"Seth, remember what we talked about?" She reached behind her back and grabbed my hand.

I sighed loud and could practically feel Abby rolling her eyes at me. "I know, Bee, but that doesn't mean I can just turn it off. I'm a doctor and as hard as I'm trying with this, I can't not be a doctor." Especially when it came to my wife and my baby. Abby had been reminding me for months that she had a doctor, a very good doctor, who was more than qualified to not only deliver our baby but make sure Abby was okay too. This was a speech I was well versed in considering I got it every time I so much as made a medical suggestion.

Abby rolled over as best she could and looked me in the eyes. "I know, and you know that I find you incredibly sexy, Dr. Clearwater," she pressed her hand to my cheek. "But I need you to not be the doctor. I need you to be my husband, and hold my hand and comfort me and tell me it's going to be okay."

I leaned forward to kiss her lips gently. "I can be both."

She didn't say anything back, just sighed loudly and closed her eyes. I loved to watch her sleep and I could always tell by the change in her breathing when she'd slipped into dreamland. I put my hand on her stomach to feel the baby shifting underneath it. It was comforting and I closed my eyes then. I didn't know I'd fallen asleep until a little later.

"Seth," I heard beside me and could feel someone shoving me. "Wake up, wake up."

Why the hell was someone trying to shove me out of my own bed? "Hmmm?" I groaned.

"You have to wake up. Please, wake up?" I heard Abby panicking next to me.

As much as I could hear the urgency in my wife's voice, I started to become aware of a strange smell in the air. It wasn't like blood but close, a very earthy scent. "What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up slowly before it hit me what had happened by the dampness next to me. "Shit, did your water break?"

"Yes and the contractions are getting closer," Abby sounded out of breath. I reached over to flip the light on. My eyes went straight to her and I could see all the pain and fear in her eyes.

"It's gonna be okay, sweetie," I told her, grabbing her hand.

"It's early," she squeezed my hand.

"It's okay. It's not too early. Just a week, let's get you changed and then we'll head to the hospital," I helped her out of bed, then helped her change into dry, clean clothes. We'd been going over the ins-and-outs of this for weeks. I knew who we had to call, in what order they needed to be called. Now it was go time.

Other than forgetting Abby, the other thing I was terrified of forgetting was Liam. I knew I wouldn't purposely forget him but things were pretty chaotic and I was trying to stay calm because I knew Abby was in for a long night but my stomach was in knots and the last thing on Earth I wanted to do was forget my oldest son. Oldest son, I liked the ring that had to it. I made sure, after I had loaded the bag in the car, then Abby, that I scooped up Liam from his bed where he was sleeping soundly.

"Daddy, I sweepy," he said as I cuddled him into my chest.

I put his bag over my shoulder and kissed his forehead. "I know, little one, but Mommy and Daddy have to go the hospital and you have to go stay with Griffin and Bodhi."

"Kay," Liam mumbled, clearly not awake yet.

I carried him down to the garage and strapped him in his seat while I listened to Abby breathing heavily. The moment I was in the driver's seat, I took her hand and held it in mine. In the short time it took us to get to Jake and Nessie's, I knew that Abby had two big contractions. It hit me then that all my medical training was shit when it came to the fact that my wife was in pain, especially since she was gripping very tightly to the hand I just happen to write with.

Nessie came to the car to retrieve Liam, wishing Abby luck. I was actually secretly starting to think that maybe I was the one that was going to need the luck, what with Abby's sudden bionic strength. I peeled out onto the main road, trying to concentrate on the road before I was distracted with my wife's sobbing next to me. "What's wrong? Is the pain worse? Describe it to me," I went into doctor mode again.

"No, no," she sobbed. "Today's—Today's Ashley's b-b-birthday. This is h-her special day and I'm going to ruin it."

"Hey, hey," I rubbed the back of her hand, trying to calm her down. "It's gonna be okay. Let's just concentrate on getting the baby here, safe and sound, okay?" She nodded and squeezed my hand hard, breathing through her teeth.

I made the trip to the hospital in record time, probably cheating by parking in a spot reserved for doctors since this was technically a personal matter not business one. But when it came to Abby, It didn't matter. She was in pain, she was scared, and I didn't care if I had to drive through the front doors.

"Dr. Clearwater?" Agnes, the nurse at receiving said.

"Yes, my wife's having a baby. We called, for Dr. Schweig," I was supposed to sound calm and confident but I was anything but.

"Oh, yes, let me just…" she turned to the computer and started typing on the keyboard.

"Ooh…looks like…hmmm…oh, yes, looks like Dr. Schweig is all ready and your room is all set up." She had a smile on her face, clearly not getting that this was a big deal. "Teena, could you wheel Mrs. Clearwater to the maternity ward?" She motioned the other nurse over and off we went.

As a doctor, I should've been known a lot more about childbirth than I felt like I did at the moment. Sure I knew the technical stuff, and I myself had delivered a few babies in medical school but this made me feel helpless. I tried to help Abby into the bed, without jostling her too much, and then held her hand while they hooked up monitors, started IV's, and wheeled in various carts. But that was about all I could do. Hold her hand, talk to her, try to be of some comfort.

"I'm not pleased with your blood pressure, Abby. I think you're going to have to go through this without an epidural," Kim said, looking very serious. This was not what we had planned and the fear and helplessness I felt before seemed to be tenfold at the moment. I didn't even want to look at Abby for fear she would be in tears with worry.

"Okay, whatever is best for the baby," Abby answered to my surprise. She didn't look scared now at all. She looked strong and determined and she gave me a bit of a smile when she squeezed my hand.

We had arrived at the hospital a little after two in the morning. Less than four hours later, Abby was in hard labor, and I kept holding her hand as she pushed. I could see the pain on her face but she kept strong.

"Okay, Abby," Kim said. "I think one or two more pushes and the newest Clearwater will grace us with his presence."

Abby looked up at me. I could see every emotion possible in her eyes and I knew that she was scared. She wouldn't say it, but I knew. "Come on, Bee, you can do this. One or two more and Liam's little brother will be here. You can do it." She held my hand tighter as she pulled herself up a little, took a deep breath, and pushed.

"Good job, Abby, just like that," Kim said as the nurse counted to ten on the other side of the bed. "Okay, the heads out." I looked down between Abby's legs to see, knowing that in less than a minute, I wouldn't just have one son, I would have two. "Just a small push, you're doing great, Abby."

"You are, sweetie, you're doing so great, keep going," I tried to cheer her on, but she didn't need it as she titled her chin down to her chest. "Keep pushing, Bee." The next sound to fill the room was a loud, full, strong cry.

"It's a boy!" Kim exclaimed, laying the baby on Abby's stomach. He was screaming his head off, covered in whitish goo, but he was one of the most beautiful creatures I'd ever laid eyes on.

"He's amazing, Abbs," I whispered now as I kissed Abby's forehead. "Thank you!" I couldn't stop the tears now and it got worse when Kim handed me the scissors to cut the umbilical cord. I turned back to Abby who had tears of her own and couldn't help but steal another kiss. "You did it, babe."

"Thank you," she said softly, looking down at the baby as the nurse wiped him off. I was still holding her hand as they took the baby away to clean him up. "You can go with him. I'll be okay." I nodded and followed the nurse. The next few minutes, or hour or so, was a blur really. The baby was cleaned and I'd visited with our family waiting outside, and then waited with Abby while they finished up her stitches and got her settled in. "Will you bring Liam and Ash in first? I think we should have a minute for Liam to get ot meet his brother and get used to the idea, and a special birthday present for Ashley."

"I'll be right back," I kissed her again, this time on the lips and kept myself from skipping to the waiting area. After a little chat with everyone, I picked up Liam, grabbed Ashley's hand with my free hand and walked towards Abby's room. "We have to use our soft inside voice, okay?" I told Liam as he nodded in my arms and then placed his finger to his lip like he was shushing me.

"Sorry," I grinned as we reached the door. "Ready?"

"Yes, Daddy," Liam said. "I'm a big brutter now." He grinned at me and I couldn't help but give him a hug.

"Okay, here we go," I opened the door slowly. Abby was laying the bed, propped up against the pillow with the burritoed baby in her arms. She was looking down at the blue blanket, a smile on her face as she gently it rocked back and forth.

"Mommy?" Liam whispered to get Abby's attention.

Her smile grew bigger when she looked up to see Liam. "Hi, sweetheart," she answered. "Wanna see your brother?" Liam nodded his head vigorously as I carried him over to the sink to wash his hands and then brought him over to the bed. "You have to use both hands, okay?"

"I will!" he squealed, sitting with his legs crossed next to Abby and his back against the pillow. She turned a little and gingerly placed the baby in his big brother's waiting arms.

"Get the camera," Abby mouthed to me and pointed at her bag. It took me a minute to move. If seeing my son take his first breaths had made me cry, the sight of my oldest son holding his little brother like a precious treasure had me biting my lip and fighting back tears.

"Hi, brutter baby," Liam said. Abby's arms were wrapped around them so it wasn't actually like Liam was holding him all on his own, but the moment was priceless just as well. "I Leem," he leaned down and kissed the baby's nose. My sons shared the same eyes, the same nose, the same lips and I had no doubt in my mine that Liam would be the best big brother to Cullen that anyone could ever ask for. It wasn't anything Liam said, just watching him look at the baby, I knew that they would be more than brothers. They would be best friends, pack mates, guides when things got rough. They would there for each other and that made me breathe a little easier. "Luv you, Clen," Liam said, giving him another kiss on the nose.

"You wanna come see the baby, Ash?" Abby asked, Ashley quiet till now was hiding behind me a little. I'd never known her to be shy but things were different now. A few nights ago, she told me she was worried. She was worried that a new baby would mean that she would be a bit like a fifth wheel. In all honesty, after spending three years with Abby and Ashley, Ashley felt more like my daughter than my sister-in-law. I had no doubt that things were going to be perfectly fine. I smiled at her as I gently pushed her forward and helped her sit in the chair beside the bed.

She rolled up the sleeves to her sweater and stuck out her tongue, then held her arms in a cradle position. "I'm ready," she said. I took the baby from Liam's arms and watched him pout a little, then carried Cullen over and softly placed him in his little Aunt's arms.

"Happy birthday, Ash," I whispered.

She stared for a minute teary-eyed, not saying anything and I could see a little panic in Abby's eyes as she watched. "Happy Birthday, Cullen. Today is my birthday too and you are the best birthday present in the world." Abby sniffled and Ashley looked up at me. "I love both my nephews so much and I promise that I'll always, _always_ watch over them, no matter what." She looked back down at the baby and started humming. For a nine-year old, she was one of the best aunts a kid could ask for.

"Do you want to have some of the others come in?" Abby asked after Ash had been holding the baby for a good fifteen minutes.

Mom and Charlie came in next, Mom going on and on about how much Cullen and Liam looked like me as a baby. Leah was quiet when she came in, quietly talking to Abby for a bit. The conversation ended with both of them crying and then sharing a hug. It was so very…unLeah.  
Ava cooed at baby while Liam chatted Scar's ear off about all the things he wanted to show and teach "his Clen." I could see the haunted look in Scar's eyes though, I figured it was because he thought his time as a big brother might be cut short. I didn't doubt though that he would step up to be Liam's big brother, as well as Ashley's, and I was in his debt for all he did protecting Ava in Seattle, watching over her and keeping her safe.

The day went by quickly as guests ushered in and out. Aunt Tess bawled as she held Cullen, talking about how much she wished her sister were here to see the life Abby had now. She kissed my cheek before she left and thanked me for everything. I reminded her that this was partially her doing. She gave the O'Brien girls a place to live, then sent me in the right direction when I was determined to start a relationship. That, of course, made her cry more and I thought for a minute Uncle Rob was going to have to push her out in a wheelchair, clearly she was a hot mess of emotion.

Then came the pack family visitors, all of them excited to meet the new baby. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone smile as big as Nessie when she walked in, declaring almost that the baby "just might pass for a Cullen." We thanked her for keeping Liam and bringing him to the hospital and invited her, Jake, the boys, and her family for a visit in a couple days after the baby was home. Abby and I were both anxious for the baby to meet his namesakes, something that made me very happy, seeing that Abby now considered the Cullens family the same way I did.  
It had been a very long day and when they brought Abby's dinner in, Ava and Scar were the only visitors left. Ashley and Liam had gone with Leah to our house and everyone else had headed to their own homes. I could tell my wife was about five seconds from falling asleep but I could also understand why Ava didn't want to leave. Somehow, though, with the mere mention of breastfeeding the baby, Scar was ready to head out, after the goodbyes and a promise to help us get home the next day.

"Oh, shoot! Ava left her phone," Abby said. Sure enough, on the small table next the bed was Ava's cell phone.

"They probably haven't left yet. I'll try to catch them," I volunteered. I should've known that after what had been one of the best days in my life, things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Nothing could just work out for Seth Clearwater, could they?

The moment I walked into the hallway, I saw it. Ava's arms around Scar's neck, their lips locked into a romantic kiss that made the blood in my veins boil. Why was an unimprinted wolf kissing someone that was like my sister? An unimprinted wolf, who I had entrusted with protecting her? An unimprinted wolf that might imprint and break her heart, make her a bitter, hopeless bitch?  
"WHAT THE FUCK?" I yelled. It took exactly three long steps to reach them and less than five seconds for my fist to punch my brother wolf. And before I knew it, Scar was laid out on the floor with Ava leaning over him.

"What is wrong with you?" Ava looked up at me with angry eyes.

I couldn't control my breathing though. The anger was becoming too much.

"Ava, move," Scar gently pushed her aside.

"No!" she yelled, stubbornly placing herself between Scar and me.

"Ava, he's gonna phase. Get out of the way so I can get him outside before he hurts you," Scar was calm, even in knowing that we were about to give the people in Forks Hospital quite a show, he was worried about her safety and that pissed me off even more.

"Seth, don't hurt him, don't hurt him," Ava yelled as she shoved at me.

"What's going on?" I heard Abby's shaky voice and looked back to see her, only hours after giving birth, standing in the doorway staring at me. I didn't say anything. I did, however, yank Scar up with one arm, twisting it behind his back. I could feel my body start to shake.  
I turned to Ava. "Get your sister back in bed," I bit out through clenched teeth as I started to drag Scar out the front door. The moment we crossed the threshold we both made a hard right and ran for the cover of the trees out back. The ripples rolled up my spine as the fists that were ready to punch became sandy-colored paws.

_Hark ye, who goes there?_ I heard Sebastian chuckle in my head.

_Shut the fuck up, you annoying little shit!_ I yelled without really thinking and it was almost like you could hear Sebastian shutter away.

_Leave him alone, he's just a kid_, Scar growled. I circled him with hackles raised and teeth bared. _What's wrong with you?_ He growled again. I knew he was waiting for me to pounce and I was battling with myself. Do I have this fight physically or verbally? Maybe a little bit of both?

_I trusted you!_ I lunged at Scar, clamping down on the back of his neck, feeling satisfaction of some sort as I pierced his skin.

_Shit! I didn't think Seth could be so scary! _Sebastian yelped.

_Would you shut up and get Jake?_ Scar growled at Sebastian as he shook free of me. _Please, Seth. I love her, man,_ Scar went on softly. Being the gentleman that I am, I reacted by forcefully headbutting Scar's ribs, hard enough to knock him down.

_You can't love her! She's not yours to love!_ I retorted and then bit into his hind leg. I knew it hurt from his yelp of pain, but I didn't care. What the hell could he be thinking?

_I told you. I love her!_ He growled at me but didn't make a motion to bite me. _I'm not going to fight you, so just stop_.

_Fight back!_ I growled, biting down on his back leg again, harder this time until I felt bone. But again, he made no motion towards me. He didn't retaliate, he just lay in the dirt. That pissed me off even more and I lunged towards him.

_What the hell is going on?_ Quil popped up in my head.

_Seth found out about Scar and Ava,_ Sebastian chuckled. _He had an Incredible Hulk moment! It was beautiful!_

_Fuck!_ Quil sighed as Tokala and AJ phased in.

_Shit, this is not cool,_ Tokala groaned. _Who fucking spilled the beans?_

_He caught them kissing in the hallway of the hospital!_ Sebastian continued to chuckle and it was really starting to piss me off. _Bow-chick-a-wow-wow!_

Then it hit me what Tokala said - they knew. They all knew, and they had lied for him. And lied to me. My so-called brothers knew very well what was going on and they let it happen. They betrayed me, deceived me, and while a part of me was very angry, a bigger part of me was hurt. The pack, we were like a family, and my family had let me down. It was like they had chosen Scar over me.

_It wasn't like that , Seth,_ Quil said quickly. _He really does love her and you know, in this crazy, fucked up world we live in, everyone deserves a little happiness._

_At what cost?_ I asked, hanging my head. I turned my attention back to Scar and looked him straight in the eyes. _How broken will you leave her when you imprint?_

_There's no guarantee that I'll ever imprint, Seth, _Scar quickly said, standing up on all fours. I roughly shoved him back down and put my nose to his throat, growling.

_There's no guarantee you won't,_ I growled loudly.

_Please don't, Seth. Please don't be like this. I know you, you are kind and calm and understanding,_ Scar said softly.

_Yeah, well, lot a good that did me,_ I bared my teeth, ready to chomp down on his neck.

_Stop right there, Seth Clearwater,_ Jake commanded, his order so strong, it brought me down flat to the ground. It wasn't just me though. I watched Scar go belly down and the others in my head go silent with the power of the command.

Jake never orders us, never wanting to take free will away from us but now, with Ava at stake, he orders me? My sister, another sister? Do I watch her fall apart and become as bitter and broken as Leah? _You don't understand, Jake!_ I tried to explain but felt like I was failing miserably.

_I understand more than you can possibly know. I was there when you and Leah phased the first time. I saw what happened, how Sam's imprinting affected her. But Leah is still a wolf, retired true, but still a wolf. Is she still bitter and hurt? Did she imprint? Explain to me how you could walk one sister down the aisle to have a non-imprint marriage but deny the same possibility for another?_

His words affected me so much that a howl ripped out of me. Ava was brave and confident and in your face. Strong like Leah was, and watching Leah fall apart was probably one of the hardest things I'd ever seen. I watched my sister falling apart and there was nothing I could do about it and here he wanted me to risk Ava's heart.

_That heart is already affected Seth. Whether you like it or not, they're in love. She's gonna hurt and fall apart just like Leah and it won't be because of an imprint, but because of a bull headed brother-in-law.  
_  
I didn't know what to do. This was my family, it's my job to keep them safe, protected. And here I was, conflicted.

_I thought I was your family too, _Scar interjected softly.

He was, is. He is my brother. I trust him with my whole family. Should it be different now? _I'm going back to Abby. I need to think. Scar, I don't want to see you for a while okay. I need to think about this._

Facing Abby was going to be another issue. This great day was suddenly turning into a nightmare.

**ABBY'S POV**

****"Why are you acting like this?" I looked at my husband who was pacing the floor next to my hospital bed, the veins in his neck popping out a little more than usual.

"You don't understand," Seth said. Jake was standing against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. I was glad he was there. More than glad really. When Seth and Scar had taken the fight outside, he was the first the person I called. His silence must have been agonizing for Seth though. "You know, Jake, of all the people that would understand how absolutely ridiculous this is, I thought for sure you'd be one of them. You were there, with Leah, you saw it, what it did to her, how it changed her. And then Bella. You and Bella, look at the disaster that was," Seth wasn't yelling but he wasn't exactly talking in a voice conducive to a hospital either.

"Are you done?" Jake asked in a cool voice. I worried that Seth mentioning Bella would push him enough to snap but no. "Remember me and Bella? She chose Edward over me. In any other circumstances, do you think I would have given her daughter a second glance?" What was he getting at? I shook my head, Seth did too. "That's why I imprinted on Nessie. Because I would have walked away from her otherwise. Scar recognized his soulmate without any help. Why don't you give him the benefit of that possibility? What if you split them up and both of them grow bitter because of it and he never imprints as they both grow old, alone and apart? How would you feel then? Them unhappy and alone, while you're with your happy family?"

Seth collapsed on the chair next to my bed and picked up my hand. "Leah was so broken. I can't let Ava take that risk."

I scooted over a bit in the bed and, as calmly as possible, patted the bed to beckon him over. He complied and sat next to me in the hospital scrubs that Kim got for Seth. I was tired and my body was sore but I could see the anguish in Seth's face. He wasn't just fighting Scar, he was fighting a battle within himself and that scared me. I wrapped my arm around him and then held him, much like I would snuggle with Liam or Ashley. He needed to be comforted right now.  
"I won't see another sister go through that," he whispered. I nodded my head as Jake sat down in the chair next to us. "Leah was so different before Sam and Emily. God, she was happy, and she had so much hope. And then he broke her heart and she was a shell and I couldn't do anything to make it better. I can't do anything to heal those kinds of wounds."

"Seth, maybe you won't have to. There's always the possibility that Scar will never imprint. The legends say that it's supposed to be rare, remember?" Jake asked.

"Rare, my ass. How many of the wolves have imprinted? Most of them. It's not something we can help is it?" Seth said, answering the rhetorical question.

"Let me remind you that you're one of them," Jake nodded towards me. "So are you saying you wished you hadn't imprinted?" I wasn't sure why Jake would say that and it almost hurt a little. But them I looked at his eyes and knew by the softness in them, he didn't mean it the way I interpreted it. He was playing the Devil's Advocate. "Besides, eight out of thirty is _not_ most of them."

"You know I don't wish that," Seth hugged me tighter as I continued to stroke his hair.

"Seth, you know my theory on imprinting, right?" Jake cleared his throat. "Wolves imprint because they can't find that connection on their own." He leaned forward and put his elbows on his legs. "Maybe Scar found that connection without all the magic we needed. Maybe in a way she's like his imprint, he just didn't need the push we did."

Seth shook his head and pulled away from me. "I can't let her take that risk."

Now it was my turn to talk. "It's not your place to tell her she can't take that risk." Both Seth and Jake turned to look at me, both with the same shocked look on their face. "No, you don't understand. She's happy, Seth, really happy."

"And that will all end when Scar imprints," he rebutted.

"If he imprints," Jake said, raising an eyebrow.

"It could also end if he gets killed out there. It's a risk all of you take. When you two were off having your pissing contest, Ava told me she'd rather have what time she could with him than to never have been with him at all," I bit my lip. "And I know how she feels because I would feel the same way if it were you, Seth. Because I love you that much. I could loose you too. I am just so thankful for the time I have with you. Why don't you look at it that way?"

Both men's faces softened. "Abby…" Seth laid back down next to me.

"I want her to be able to be happy, to have what we have. She deserves that. Fate has given her a pretty shitty hand, let her buck fate for as long as she can," I felt like there should've been something more exciting happen but the pink-scrubs clad nurse chose that moment to join us wheeling in Cullen in his bassinet.

"Mommy, baby is hungry," she smiled as she parked next to the bed. I reached out for the baby. He was like a miniature Seth, a copy of Liam.

"Thank you," I tried to sound patient and smiled as the nurse exited the room. I pulled Cullen's little blue cap from his head and laid him on my legs in front of me. "I want Ava to be able to feel like this. And I don't know how, but I know that she and Scar belong together as much as you and I do."

"Listen to your wife, man," Jake agreed.

I could almost see Seth's resolve breaking as he watched Cullen yawn. "I guess the real question now is who's gonna hold me back if he imprints. Because mark my word, I will kill him. I'll string him up by his—"

"We get it, Seth. And as sexy as it is to see you so protective, this isn't you, this anger isn't you," I said. I scooped Cullen up and then put him in Seth's arms. "How could you deny anyone this?" He stared down at our son, running a finger over his button nose and then kissing his forehead. I was so frustrated. How could he see our son, our love and not want that for someone he said he loved? "If you love Ava, let her have this happiness. Please," I pleaded as the tears came out like I hadn't cried in a long time. They weren't like the happy tears from earlier, I was confused. How could my loving husband suddenly be so - stubbornly cruel?

"Bee, don't cry, please don't cry," Seth said as he wrapped an arm around me. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

I shook my head looking at him. Even being a bit of an ass, I knew that it was technically out of love and I knew my parents would be thankful that someone was looking out for Ava. "I wish…I wish my parents got to meet you…they'd love you so much," I sobbed into his scrubs.

"Oh, yes, because everyone loves me," he chuckled. I knew he was trying to cheer me up but it wasn't working. I pulled away and looked into his eyes and I knew what I needed to say.

"They would love Scar too," I caressed his cheek. Seth's face started to soften. This was the man I loved, the man I married, the man I had a family with. He was sweet and loving and I needed him to understand why this was important.

"Dammit," I heard him mutter under his breath. He was quiet, rubbing my back and pulling me tighter to him. "Fine, I'll accept it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. You know, apart from them not being imprints, I'm more than a little pissed that I trusted him to watch over her and instead he's doing God knows what with her." Seth had a pouty look and I turned his chin so that I could look in his eyes. "Do you think Ashley would put me through this too?" he asked petulantly.

"I love you, Seth Clearwater," I whispered, kissing away the disdain on his lips.

**Please, please review! I appreciate every single one of them! Also, there is only the epilogue remaining for this story. However **_**A Love that Defies All Logic**_** will be continued and I will be starting Quil and Claire's story soon. Thank you again to all of you!**


	26. Forever For Always No Matter What

**AN: Of course, I still don't own Twilight…wouldn't it be awesome if I did though? **

**I cannot say thank you enough to my beta, Ninadoll! More than a year ago, she gave me the confidence to start this story and has been patient and support all through it. I'm so happy to be able to write in her universe! Nina is an absolutely amazingly awesome beta, friend, and author. Please check out her stories**_**How the Might Fall, The Rest of Forever, **_**and**_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're In The World**_**! Thank you, Nina for everything!**

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow, for being so awesome! I stole the title of this chapter from a sign hanging in her kitchen. The last time I was there, the moment I read it, I knew it was the perfect name for the epilogue. **

**As always, thank you to each and everyone of you that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com.**

**EPILOGUE: FOREVER. FOR ALWAYS. NO MATTER WHAT.**

**ABBY'S POV**

"Don't go too close to the water, Liam!" I yelled as my oldest son ran along the beach in La Push, giggling like mad as my husband chased him. "Seth, don't let him get wet please!"

Liam started to inch closer to the waterline just in time for Seth to scoop him up and spin him around. "Lee, we gotta keep you dry," Seth said over Liam's joyful squeals.

It was days like this I wondered what I had done in this life or another to deserve what I had. Whenever I watched Liam running around the house, being chased by his father and aunt, or looked into the eyes of my youngest child, I couldn't help but feel my breath catch. I never let the thoughts develop too much, I didn't want to jinx myself afterall. I just knew that someone, somewhere had to be looking out for me. Because, for the first time in my life, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged, with the people I belonged with. I was happier than I could have ever imagined being.

My eyes slid to Ashley beside me, busily working on a sandcastle for the past two hours. I think, no I believe Ashley was happy too. She was always smiling, more than normal. My little sister had grown into a wonderful, responsible, loving pre-teen. While she made a lot of friends at the reservation school, Sydney was her closest, second only of course to Sadie, who lay in the cool sand on the beach next to her.

It was the end of August and Second Beach was relatively empty. The occasional family or the lovestruck teenagers would walk by, on the way to the make-out rock. But for the most part, the beach belonged to my family. I sat on a blanket, Cullen, now two years old, sitting next to Ashley, sand in a bucket, thinking very deeply about his next move. Watching my family like this, it was pretty much what I was sure Heaven was like. Quiet, peaceful, surrounded by the people I love.

I was missing two of the most important people I love though. Scar and Ava were busy and it made me a bit sad. I don't know if it was because now that they were officially a couple, I wanted them here with us more now. Alas, I knew they were both doing what they dreamed of doing and I couldn't stop them from that.

"Momma! Daddy got me!" Liam laughed as Seth brought him over to the blanket, setting him down gently.

"Did he get my baby?" I asked, trying to pull Liam to me with my empty arms.

"Momma, I'm not a baby. Clen's a baby, I'm a big boy," he grinned at me with a smile that matched his father's. I knew he was definitely going to be the spitting image of Seth when he got older. It made me worry about what would happen with him and girls but I guess only time would tell.

"Sorry, Liam, sometimes I think you're still my baby," I told him faking a frown.

"Silly, Momma," he said. He climbed into my lap and wrapped his little arms around my neck, then pressed his lips on my cheek to give me a very sloppy kiss. "Love you, Mommy!"

I smiled and held him close to me. If I never did anything else in my life, I knew that I had given the world Liam Clearwater and because of that, the world would be a better place. Even apart from his appearance, my little boy was so much like his father. He had the same pleasant disposition as Seth, always had a smile on his face, and he always made sure to share his toys. I could tell that my son was going to be destined for some career or life helping others.  
"I love you so much, my Liam," I said to him. It was a preciously sweet moment and I decided to liven things up a little bit by creeping my finger tips closer to his ribs. "Who's the tickle monster?"

Liam started to chuckle and squeal. "No, don't tickle me!" He exclaimed.

"I'm the tickle monster!" I laughed as I started tickling him. He laughed so hard that before I knew it, Seth, Ashley, and myself were all three breathless from laughter.

Liam calmed in my arms as I stopped tickling him and placed a kiss on his forehead. He sat up and looked around until he found Seth, who was now holding Cullen and chuckling. "Daddy, Mommy is the tickle monster! She got me!"

Seth laughed. "She is the tickle monster!" I smiled and leaned towards him to take Cullen. "I kinda like it when you tickle me though," he whispered in my ear and very gently kissed my neck causing me to blush profusely.

"How come you're so red?" Ashley asked with one hand on her hip. She shook her head at me, then pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, texting someone quickly, then closing it and putting it into her pocket .

"Who are you texting?" I asked.

"Mac," she answered with a blush. Seth responded with a soft growl, which caused her eyes to widen. It was funny to think of Seth as being so protective. "Grown ups are so weird," she mumbled before running down the beach a little. "Bet ya can't get me, Liam!"

Liam picked himself up off the blanket and chased after his aunt. I glanced at my watch and sighed. "We probably need to start packing up," I said.

"Okay, I'll round up the heathens," Seth said, handing me Cullen and running after Ashley and Liam.

"We go now?" Cullen asked as I sat him down on his feet and nodded. "Castle stay?"

"Yes, sir. Do you want me to take a picture?" I asked, knowing he would almost certainly want me to take a picture of his most recent sandcastle. Every time we came to the beach, he and Ashley would build a sandcastle. She suggested we take pictures and put them in an album for him, for when he got older. I agreed and started taking pictures from the first times we came to the beach, when he was just a wee baby, until now. I pulled my camera from my pocket and clicked the picture.

"I see?" Cullen asked. I leaned down and showed him the picture on the camera's digital screen. "Ooh, pretty."

I felt my heart swell at the wonder in my little boy's eyes. "How did I get so lucky, Cullen? Hmm?" I asked, nuzzling my nose to his like an Eskimo kiss. How did I get so lucky?

Ashley made her way to me. "You know, technically, if you're talking about marrying Seth and having the babies and that making you lucky, you should thank Sadie," Ashley said with her beach bucket in her hand. "She's the one that got you and Seth together, you know?" She leaned down to her sand castle and I took my camera from my pocket and snapped a picture of her as she poured a little water from her bucket into the moat she had dug around the sandy building. She was right and almost as if on cue, Sadie barked and ran towards us, Liam hot on her heels and Seth behind him. Liam was laughing as he chased her and I brought my camera out, barely having time to frame up the shot before he was right in front of me, but I clicked the picture just in time. As I checked the display, my heart sank a little. My baby really wasn't a baby anymore. He was a boy and before long he would be a teenager, then he would be driving, and moving away to college. Then he would be getting married and having a family of his own. I wasn't ready for that. I wasn't ready to let him go.

I didn't say anything as we walked to the car. Ashley helped Liam into his car seat while I put Cullen in his. After I was sure the toddler's seat was nice and secure, I double checked Liam's seat, much to Ashley's chagrin. "I told you I made sure it was tight. I'm not a little kid anymore, Abby," Ashley almost growled at me. I had to hide my face to keep her from seeing my giggle. She was determined lately to take more responsibility at home but I didn't want her to lose her kid-years, no matter that she wanted to be treated more grownup. I wanted her to be able to feel like a kid, a pre-teen, I didn't want her to be in therapy when she was 25, discussing how her older sister had made her grow up too quickly. She deserved to be happy.

"Sorry, Ash. It's habit, I do it even when Seth straps him in," I said. That was actually true. Call it my overprotective nature, I tried to trust others but I felt the Momma Wolf in me need to make sure my pups were safe.

As I finished up with the kids, Seth opened the back hatch and put our basket in, shutting it just as his phone rang. "Yo, yo," Seth joked as he answered the call. His voice was muffled as he talked but as soon as he got into the car, he put the call on speakerphone. I listened as Ava talked, trying not to look too sad about that fact that all the children in my family were going to be leaving me soon.

"Ave! Is Scar with you?" Liam yelled from the backseat. I couldn't help but laugh as Seth let out a quiet growl. He didn't want to admit it but he was a little jealous of Scar. He knew that as much as Liam loved him as his Daddy, Scar was probably his "bestest big bud," with the younger wolf pack kids being his best friends. I listened as Scar and Liam talked about the day and Liam told them how excited he was to start kindergarten.

I looked in the backseat to see that Cullen was already sleeping. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, since, I was convinced, he could sleep through a foghorn. When he was first born, I was worried that maybe he had hearing problems, but I had been assured by my husband, or better yet, Dr. Clearwater, that he was just fine and that he had it on good authority that Quil slept through a car running through his house as a kid. I wasn't sure if that was supposed to make me feel better, but oddly, it did.

"Yes! I'm very excited! I've already been practicing my letters and numbers! And Griffin and Hawk are going to be in my class! It's going to be a lot of fun!" Liam answered in his biggest big boy voice. That made me even more sad. I was excited for him to start school. Up until this point he had only gone to half-day preschool, and then spent the rest of the day with his Grandma Sue. And he was so excited, so I was excited. But I still wanted him to need me. I wanted to still be important to him.

I hadn't said anything to Seth about it, but I knew that he knew. I don't know if it was the imprint connection or if he was feeling the same thing, but he knew that I was hurting on the inside. He reached across the console in my Audi Q7, the car that replaced my Subaru, not much to my liking, after it went to Car Heaven shortly after Cullen was born. The Audi was nice, it was white and nice on the inside, but the Subaru had sentimental value. It was the car that my parents had bought me when I graduated from my undergrad, the car that I had driven cross country more than once, and the car that I met Seth with. I cried like a baby the day the tow truck came to take it from our driveway. The next day, Seth brought the Audi home, and while it was newer and had a lot more gadgets, it wasn't my Subaru. Even now, two years later, it's hard for me to think about.

Seth talked animatedly to Scar and Ava. For the past two years he tried hard to keep a good relationship with Scar and Ava. He told me often that he worried they might hold the way he had first reacted to their relationship against him and might pull away from the family. They hadn't though and Seth was grateful for that. I knew that while he still had a little fear of Scar imprinting, he was starting to understand our logic behind why he shouldn't worry about that so much.

As the call ended, we all seemed to say bye at once, mixed in with the "Love Yous." No one could ever say the O'Brien/Clearwater family never expressed their love for one another. We were a family that said it, hugged in public, and never went to bed angry with one another. That was a lesson we learned from my time away when I was pregnant with Liam. And while it may have been a little touchy-feely for some people, we never took for granted how important our family was to us. Seth and I had both seen loss and for as long as we lived, we would never let a single day pass without the ones we loved knowing how important they were to us.  
I knew in the morning I would have to watch my little boy take his first steps away from me, and while I wasn't sure if _I _was ready for that, I knew that he was. He was his father's son, a kind soul. He would do great things, as would his aunt and brother. I would let him go, not because I wanted to, but because I needed to let him do the things he was destined to do. I might hurt a little but I knew that Seth and I had prepared him for his future. And that was all I could do.

**SETH'S POV**

Abby and I made our rounds together, tucking in the kiddos. This was our routine, except on nights when I patrolled. Those nights, Abby tucked them in and I checked on them when I got home. We always started with Cullen. He was much more vocal than his older brother and while he still made the same little kitten noises that Liam made, when he fussed or cried, he made sure he had your attention. For the first year of his life, Cullen wouldn't go to sleep unless he was in mine or Abby's arms or in his carseat. That changed when Jake and Nessie got him a stuffed wolf for his first birthday. Now all he needed was his stuffed wolf and a blanket and he could sleep anywhere and through anything.

Cullen yawned as I pulled the covers up. His bedroom hadn't changed much from when it was a nursery. The crib had been put in storage and replaced by a big boy bed with owl bedding. "Wof, Daddy," he put his hand out, asking for his stuffed wolf. "Here you go," I said, leaning down to kiss his nose. "Love you."

"Wuv you, Daddy," he answered, holding on tightly to his toy and rolling over onto his stomach to stick his butt in the air. It was exactly how Liam slept, and, according to my Mom, exactly how I slept as a baby.

"Love you, Cullen," Abby said as we both walked out and flipped the light off.  
I watched him sleep for a bit then walked down the hall. Two lights were on, one in Ashley's room, the other in Liam's. I stopped at Ashley's first and saw her phone out…again. I wasn't going to say anything though. I wanted to, I didn't like that Ashley had suddenly discovered boys. It made the overprotective brother/father-figure in me roar.

"Be nice," Abby whispered next to me, like she could sense what I was feeling. She walked in first and Ashley put the phone on her nightstand, plugging it in to charge. I watched for a minute as my wife talked with her little sister. It was funny but I knew Abby and I both loved Ashley as if she were our own daughter. I was probably more protective of her than any father would be with a daughter.

Ashley would still look for new wolves and I knew that even though she never said anything about it, she knew she lived in a supernatural world and I wanted to make sure, if the day came that she ever found out about the people she loved, she wouldn't be frightened.  
"Love you," she said with a big smile. "Forever, for always, no matter what." This was what Ashley had come up with for us. She started saying it about a year ago. Her parents always said 'love you for always" but she felt like we needed something that was just for our family. She seriously thought about it for about a week before she saw it in a children's book she had to read to Liam and Griffin. Honestly, it was pretty perfect for us.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead again. "Forever, for always, no matter what." I scratched behind Sadie's ears and patted her head. Abby sat back down on the bed to talk to Ashley for a minute but I decided to go ahead and check in on Liam.

As I rounded the corner to his room, I could hear Liam talking and slowly peeked in the room. Liam was kneeling beside his bed with his hands folded.

"And bless Clen and Mommy and Daddy and bless Ava and Scar and Auntie Ash," he took a deep breath and stopped for a minute. He got up and ran to the other side of the room, then came back, holding something in his hand. "And please tell Nana Maddie, Papa Patrick, and Grandpa Harry that I'm starting school tomorrow. I love them even though I never met them and I hope they will watch over me tomorrow. Thank you." I had never heard Liam mention his grandparents that had passed away. I knew he knew about them and that he kept a picture, the thing he was currently holding in his hands, of all three of them in his room. But somehow, hearing him say that he loved them and praying like that, made me start to choke up. He started to get up again but stopped himself. "Sorry, I forgot to say Amen. Amen." I smiled at him as he sighed again and stood up. "Daddy, why are you watching me?"

It brought me out of my thoughts and I faked a cough to hide the lump in my throat. "I just wanted to say good night and tuck you in but I didn't want to disturb you," I lied, walking towards him as he crawled into bed. He was still holding onto the picture. "You wanna put that on the table?"

He nodded and I took the picture, setting it on his bedside table. "Was Grandpa Harry nice?" Liam asked.

I smiled widely as I pulled the dinosaur quilt up. "He was the best Daddy in the world."  
"Nuh-uh, you're the best Daddy in the world," Liam chuckled and I smiled, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

It was funny to hear him say that. Everything I knew about parenting, about being a father, I learned from my own father. If Liam thought I was a good Daddy, it was only because my own Daddy had been such a great example for me. "Thanks, Lee, but I think Grandpa Harry could probably beat me in that competition. He was smart and kind and he worked hard. More than anything though, he loved his family," I told him.

"Would he like me?" my son asked.

"No, Lee," I said, seeing his frown start. "He would love you, just like I do."

Liam's frown turned into a grin. "Good," he grinned up at me. "I love you too."

I heard my wife approach as I tucked the last part of the quilt around Liam. "What's going on in here?" Abby asked with a smile in her voice.

"We were just having a discussion," I said.

"Yeah, Momma, we were just having a disconcusion," Liam said.

"Well, I'm going to have to put a stop to the discussion and kiss my little boy good night," Abby came towards us. She leaned down and actually picked Liam up from his bed, holding onto him tightly.

"Momma, you're squishing me!" he chuckled. I could see the look in Abby's eyes though. She closed them very tightly. She nuzzled him and took a deep breath, and I found it ironic that she was doing exactly what a wolf would do to his imprint or family, or anyone that he was trying to memorize their scent. While I hardly worried about Liam starting school, Abby worried a lot and I knew she was trying to keep him as close as she could.

"I love you, my little one," she whispered.

Very gently, she loosened her grip on him and laid him in his bed. "I love you too, Momma." The way Liam put his hand on Abby's cheek, the way he placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek, that let me know that he was going to be perfectly okay at school. He knew that was exactly what his Mom needed and I knew that kind of insightfulness was something that made Liam so unique.  
Abby gave him a final kiss on the forehead and then walked out of the room, giving me a watery smile. I knew there would be tears and I was ready to help sooth her. I walked to Liam's bed and smiled as I tucked the quilt around him again.

"Thanks for being my Daddy," Liam said, as he flipped onto his stomach.

"Thanks for being my little boy," I said. I knew he didn't like being called little but he didn't say anything as he closed his eyes. Watching him and thinking about my Dad made me wonder. I knew that one day Liam and Cullen might find their own imprints, and would have their own families. Would I have been the great influence on them as my Dad was on me? Would I give Liam and Cullen an example of what a good father should be? I couldn't say for sure, but I did know this. I would work hard to show my sons what makes a good father and husband, and I would be thinking of my Dad the whole time. As long as I did that, there was no doubt in my mind, the future was in great hands.

**Second AN: Just a few more tiny details. The picture that Abby takes of Liam and Seth at the beach is based on an actual picture of Nathaniel Arcand (the person I see as Seth) and his son, who is ironically named Griffin. You will be able to see the picture on my blog and my web page. Thank you again so much for reading! **


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